In May, a Piper Navajo PA-31 crashed shortly after takeoff from Myrtle Beach. The pilot was ATP-rated and worked for American Airlines. He knew he was in trouble almost immediately after takeoff. He tried to return to the airport. He reached an altitude of about 1000 feet, then dropped 475 feet, then climbed 700
Boeing Slapped on the Wrist for Using Unapproved Parts in 759 Aircraft
Among the most dangerous activities in the aviation industry is the installation on an aircraft of unapproved or bogus parts – parts that have not been properly tested, approved, and certified as safe. The practice has been linked to the crash of both commercial and private aircraft. It is illegal to install uncertified parts on
737 Max Families Demand that FAA Chief Be Replaced
Families of those lost in the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash met with Biden’s Transportation Department seeking to get the top FAA official fired for being “too cozy” with Boeing. According to the families, “The FAA has been, and continues to be, more interested in protecting Boeing and the aviation industry than safety.”
NTSB Blames Collings Foundation, FAA for Fatal Crash of Sightseeing B-17
On October 2, 2019, a World War II-era B-17 flying fortress bomber departed Bradley International Airport in Connecticut for a local sightseeing flight with 10 paying tourists on board. Shortly after takeoff the pilot radioed that he was returning to the airport because of an engine problem. A witness
reported an engine was sputtering and
Byron Tow Plane Crash: Glider Pilot Error?
The pilot of a Bellanca 8GCBC Scout, Registration N4116Y, died when the aircraft crashed at Byron Airport on May 9th. According to a witness, the tow plane took off pulling a glider. While still at a low altitude, the glider climbed abruptly. The maneuver pulled the tail of the tow plane into the air, pointing
Kobe Bryant Crash: NTSB Update Points to Improper VFR into IMC
From the outset it looked to me as though the Kobe Bryant crash was a simple case of “continued VFR into IMC” — a crash caused by a pilot wandering into clouds and fog and losing control of the helicopter and crashing. The NTSB’s update seems to confirm just that. Here are the four important
Kobe Bryant Crash: Controlled Flight Into Terrain?
Helicopters come to grief all too often after encountering clouds or fog. In fact, it seems that it was an encounter with low clouds that lead to the fatal Safari Helicopter Crash on Kauai just a few weeks ago.
Fog can lead to a helicopter crash in two ways. First, the pilot can, upon encountering
Montreal Convention Does Not Protect United Airlines From Passenger’s Malicious Prosecution Lawsuit
A passenger boarded a United flight from Rome to San Francisco. He asked for food. The flight attendant refused. The two exchanged words. Eventually, another flight attendant heard the argument and brought the passenger some crackers. The passenger ate the crackers, took his seat, and went to sleep.
While the passenger slept, the flight attendant
Safari Helicopter Crash On Kauai – Another Hawai’ian CFIT?
Of course it’s too early to know why the Safari Helicopters AStar crashed this week, killing all aboard. But it sure looks like a long line of other Hawai’ian tour crashes that fall under the category “Controlled Flight Into Terrain,” or CFIT for short.
Hawai’i is subject to “microclimates.” The weather can be fine
737 Max: Boeing CEO At Loss for Words When Confronted With FNC Commentary
The first thing Boeing does when sued for a crash on foreign soil is try to get those lawsuits moved out of the US and into the foreign countries. In the case of the 737 Max cases, it means trying to move them to Indonesia and Ethiopia. If Boeing’s successful, the cases would be virtually