Pilots have come to accept that aircraft fuel gauges just don’t work well. In fact, many pilots simply assume the fuel gauge is wrong, believing it’s safer to rely on their own calculations concerning the amount of fuel remaining rather than on the gauge. As the old saw goes, “never trust your life to
Cessna Caravan Trial Begins 10 Years After Crash
More than 30 Cessna 208 and 208B Caravans have crashed when their wings iced up in flight. Victims’ families have filed many product defect lawsuits against Cessna, claiming that Cessna concealed from the pilots defects in the aircraft’s deicing system. Silvey v. Cessna is the first case to reach trial. At least the first that I
Reno Air Crash: NTSB Critical of Race Organizers’ Tracking of Aircraft Discrepancies
No conclusion yet as to exactly what caused the Galloping Ghost to crash last September at the Reno Air Races. But the interim report the NTSB issued today disclosed that the Galloping Ghost experienced an “upset” 6 seconds before it lost its left elevator trim tab. That, in turn, caused the aircraft to go out of control.
Is the R44 the Ford Pinto of Helicopters?
Can any question remain about the R44’s tendency to roll over and catch fire? It happened again yesterday, in Glendale Arizona. This time, the helicopter had barely gotten off the ground. 
Fortunately, no one was hurt. But the story is becoming all too familiar. According to the Arizona Republic:
A mechanic was testing
Pilot Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter
Foreign countries routinely bring criminal charges against pilots after an accident. But in the US, criminal charges are very rare. And that’s a good thing because "criminalizing negligence" usually does little to promote safety.
But perhaps there are exceptions.
Pilot Steven Fay bought his 1960 Cessna in June 2010. He crashed it
Scruggs’ Accident: Was Pilot’s Warning Adequate?
The pilot says he warned Lauren Scruggs away from his propeller. According to the NTSB’s preliminary report:
After [the pilot] opened the door, [Scruggs] started to get out of the airplane.
Upon noticing that she was exiting in front of the strut, the pilot leaned out of his seat and placed his right hand
NTSB to Quiz Air Show Industry Leaders
The NTSB says that during tomorrow’s hearing, it will be looking to industry leaders to give it a “deeper understanding of regulations” bearing on the operation of the nation’s air shows. Of course, the only regulatory body that has the authority to control air shows is the FAA. But what the Board will find —
Cirrus Crash at Scottsdale Raises Questions About Fuel System Design Safety
Some say that Cirrus aircraft are improperly designed because they tend to catch fire on impact more frequently than other aircraft, such as those manufactured by Cirrus competitors, like Diamond or Cessna. And there are plenty of examples of post-crash Cirrus fires to talk about. Critics argue that those fires prove that the aircraft is unduly dangerous
Propeller Safety and Lauren Scruggs’ Accident
“Investigators aren’t sure why Scruggs didn’t see the propeller” she walked into last night.
Um, maybe because a spinning propeller is pretty much invisible? Especially at night
?
News reports are that incidents such as Lauren Scruggs’, who is a model and fashion blogger, are rare. Maybe, but it would depend on what one means
Mid-air Collision Near Newberg: Hillsboro Aviation Seminole Descends onto Bonanza
It looks as though it was the twin-engine Seminole that caused the mid-air collision between it and a Beech Bonanza near Newberg, Oregon. The crash killed the the 58-year old Bonanza pilot. The Oregonian quotes sources saying that:
the larger Piper PA-44 Seminole was executing training maneuvers in the area,
making a series of rapid