until the Federal Aviation Administration requires
Accident Investigations
Weight and Balance Issues in Riverside Cessna Crash?
The Cessna T310Q crashed shortly after takeoff. For clues into the cause of the crash, the press has focused on the fact that the pilot, Nouri Hijazi, had difficulty getting the engines started.
But what one witness had to say suggests that the plane was improperly loaded – specifically, it had too much weight in…
Bogus Airplane Parts and a Cessna 182 Crash
A courageous client speaks to Stephen Stock about the risks to the flying public.
Miracle on the Hudson Immersive Video
It was seven years ago that Kas Osterbuhr put together a nearly courtroom-ready reconstruction animation of Flight 1549. At the time, there really was nothing else like it. With the movie coming out, Kas went back and updated his work. Next worst thing to being there.
No Mayday Call from Egypt Air Flight 804
Aviation expert Clive Irving suggests that, because the Egypt Air pilots made no mayday call, they must have been killed before the aircraft crashed. In other words, the crash was the result of terrorism rather than a mechanical issue.
Normally in a fire and smoke emergency the pilots would have time to don smoke
…
Pearl Harbor Helicopter Crash: Settling with Power?
Today a Bell helicopter crashed into Pearl Harbor near the Arizona Memorial. Reports are that everyone survived.
Some are saying the helicopter experienced engine failure. Unlikely. Instead, the pilot probably experienced "settling with power." That’s when the helicopter is forced down by the downdraft it creates with its own…
Piper Turbo Lance Crash in Bakersfield: Icing?
Piper N36402 departed Reid-Hillview Airport for Las Vegas as it was getting dark. The pilot had his wife and three children on board. Though the weather was challenging, the aircraft was turbocharged, which would have allowed the pilot to climb above at least some of the clouds.
The plane’s flight path, speed, and altitude changes…
SkyLife HEMS Crash and Weather
The SkyLife Bell 407 air ambulance helicopter departed from Porterville Airport at 6:52. It crashed minutes later, halfway into its 50 mile flight to San Joaquin Hospital in Bakersfield. The four aboard
will killed, including the patient being transported.
The flying conditions at Porterville were acceptable. Though it was dark, the weather was 3300
overcast…
Russian Flight KGL9268: Former NTSB Investigator Says Missile Brought Airbus Down
A few days ago, most were saying it’s too early to tell what brought down the Russian Airbus that crashed on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 aboard. Now, there’s talk of the aircraft being downed by a bomb.
Why a bomb? The best explanation comes an article written by former NTSB investigator…
Ella Lake Crash: NTSB Report Points to Weather, Possible Controlled Flight Into Terrain
NTSB preliminary reports do not draw conclusions as the cause of a crash. But the NTSB’s preliminary report of the Turbine Otter crash that killed 9 near Ketchikan on June 25 suggests a weather-related “CFIT” crash, exactly as described here.
First, the report indicates that the flight was conducted under Visual Flight Rules. That means…