Latest Posts
He’s a Terror in a Twin
Sometimes it’s obvious how an accident report is going to end from the very first sentence. NTSB Identification: CEN15FA400 “The airplane owner, who was a noninstrument-rated private pilot and did not hold a multiengine airplane rating, was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR), personal cross-county flight in the multiengine airplane.” I almost did not bother…
Read more… 26 May 17
BFU Interim Report: Bizjet Flipped by Passing Airbus
The Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU) also known as the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation, released a preliminary report on the Bombadier CL604 which encountered extreme wake turbulence in January. I usually wait for the final report but, in this case, it is very straight-forward and I’d be surprised if further details will come…
Read more… 19 May 17
The Database Error And The Turkish Airlines Airbus
On the 4th of March 2015 a Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-303 left the runway when landing at Kathmandu. The headlines called it a database error. When I read the accident report, however, I discovered that it wasn’t that simple. The Captain was 55 years old and had almost 15,000 hours with 1,500 on type: he’d…
Read more… 12 May 17
This Week’s Most Amazing Stories
This has been an amazing week for aviation news with unbelievable stories and videos seemingly coming from all directions. Anna and I have been posting every day to the Fear of Landing Facebook page but I wanted to share the best here. First off, the incredible crash landing in Everett, Washington. The pilot had just…
Read more… 5 May 17
The Amazing Flying Granny
The man in the video is Peter Powell, a British entrepreneur who famously developed steerable kites using dual lines in 1972. He started by selling the kites from the back of his car and then began selling them on Paignton sea front. He had no shop window, he sold them simply by flying the kites…
Read more… 28 Apr 17
How will we stop the engine, then? Kigali Crash into VIP lounge
You may recall these photographs from the mainstream media in 2009, when an aircraft crashed into an airport building, killing one passenger. The CRJ-100 had just taken off from Kigali International Airport when the flight crew declared an emergency after developing a fault with the throttle. They returned to Kigali and landed safely. At the…
Read more… 21 Apr 17
Accident Reports
The Mystery of Nightship 282
I often praise the NTSB for thorough and balanced reports but occasionally, there’s one that makes me wonder what the hell someone was thinking. The Night Ship final report fits…
Did TCAS Cause a Near Miss?
On the 17th of October in 2013, an Italian Air Force aircraft departed Tallinn Airport (Estonia) for Rome Ciampino Airport. The Dassault Falcon 900 is a French-built corporate jet aircraft.…
Demystifying
The 1% rule and air disaster avoidance
I asked my friend, Robert Dawson, to help me understand the numbers behind risk assessment and the 1% rule. Robert writes fantastic science fiction and poetry, however I contacted him…
Airplane Pens
This is a bit of a short post today to make up for all the heavy posts recently. Me, I’m enjoying the long weekend and a bit of sunshine… This…
History
"I Don't Know Why I Killed Him But I Did"
The true story of Earnest Pletch is hard to believe, even almost a hundred years later. Commonly referred to as America’s first hijack, I’m not sure where else there might…
Kaleva Shot Down By Long Range Bombers
Today is the 99th anniversary of Estonian independence. Sadly, that doesn’t mean 99 years of independence. The auspicious date seems like a good opportunity for a historical post covering the…
Fun Stuff
Fascinating Aviation Articles on the Internet
How Aviation Became Firefighters’ Best Friend—And Then Their Worst Enemy This fire, now known as the Saddle Fire, raged across the state throughout summer 2016. Before it burned out it…
Ten Great Christmas Gifts for Aviation Geeks
It’s the last weekend of November and time to get those Christmas gifts ready! I’ve collected ten great gifts here to give to your fellow aviation geeks… or pass this…
@FearofLanding
Rudy Jakma on He’s a Terror in a TwinThanks Chip. I can only agree that there are different rules, regulations as well as a different culture that has…
Mike Farrier on The Story Behind an Unbelievable PhotographI used to go to junior school with Paul Mead (no 's' on the end of his surname by the…
CHip on He’s a Terror in a TwinRudy: you ask "Has our society gone so totally bonkers that ‘personal liberty’ has precedence over common sense...?" A two-word…