Latest Posts
ATC, Ambulance Needed, Accident Report and AXALP ’23
I have too many things I want to tell you about and not enough time to write them all so here’s a quick collection for you. Two weeks ago, I wrote about the Bank Holiday chaos in the UK when the air traffic control sub-system failed. There was a lively discussion and I’d like to…
Read more… 22 Sep 23
Low Altitude, High Risks: Fifteen minute flight turns fatal
It was an overcast day on the morning of the 8th of September 2011 when people in West Liberty, Ohio, heard the sounds of a low-flying aircraft approaching. The Cirrus SR22 had left Bellefontaine, Ohio at a quarter past 11 for a short flight, just fifteen nautical miles south to Urbana, where he planned to…
Read more… 15 Sep 23
One-in-15-Million Flight Plan Causes UK Air Traffic Chaos
On Monday, the 28th of August 2023, a “technical glitch” in the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) in the UK caused extensive flight delays and cancellations. Monday was the Late Summer Bank Holiday, which takes place the last Monday in August for a long weekend at the end of the summer season. As a result…
Read more… 8 Sep 23
Mid-air Collision over OshKosh
On the 29th of July 2023, a mid-air collision of a helicopter and a gyrocopter at Oshkosh left two dead and two seriously injured. The helicopter, registration N193AZ, was a RotorWay Exec 162F: a kit-built aircraft manufactured by RoterWay International. The gyrocopter, registration N221EL, was an ELA 10 Eclipse: a two-seater Spanish model. It was…
Read more… 1 Sep 23
Aircraft Collides with Lorry on Henstridge Approach
On the 2nd of March, 2023, a Vans RV-9A struck a vehicle while coming into land at Henstridge Airfield. The Vans RV-9A is a Van’s Aircraft kit plane, a kit for enthusiasts to build an aircraft themselves. The RV-9 is a two-seater low-wing aircraft; the original model is a tail dragger, but the RV-9A has…
Read more… 25 Aug 23
A Few Good Stories
I’m in Dresden at the moment and I’m afraid I haven’t had a free moment to write you a new article. Luckily, lots of other people are on the internet and have shared some fun and interesting aviation posts. This great clip was posted to Reddit: Every foot of that runway was used that day…
Read more… 18 Aug 23
Accident Reports
The "Lucky" Landing of the Tupelov Tu-154
On the 7th of September 2010, a Tupelov Tu-154M (registration RA-85684) suffered a complete loss of electrical power during a cross-country flight to Moscow. The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine…
UTair Flight 579 crashes into snowbank
On the 9th of February 2020, Utair flight 595 was coming in to land when it unexpectedly struck a snowbank. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-500 registration VQ-BPS, was a scheduled…
Demystifying
Sharing a Runway: Fed Ex vs Southwest at Austin
On Monday, two commercial aircraft had a near-miss on the runway at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. The airport at Austin has two parallel concrete runways which run north-to-south: 18L/36R…
Flying Blind: The Importance of NOTAMs in Aviation
On the 11th of January 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US stopped all departing commercial flights, grounding aircraft all over the US. Hot on the heels of…
History
The Wright brothers and the dream of flying
I’ve lost most of the day to unexpected research and one of the fascinating items that I discovered was the Air Force Historical Research Agency and their amazing photo collection.…
The Tragic Story of Submarine M-200 Myest
On the 21st of November 1956, the M-200 Myest (Месть, meaning vengeance or revenge) collided with a Russian destroyer and sunk to the bottom of the Baltic. The M-200 Myest…
Fun Stuff
Flying Fails and Airshow Considerations
Long-term readings of Fear of Landing know that my favourite aerobatics show of all time is Kyle Franklin’s Ben Whabnoski Comedy act. Just in case some of you haven’t seen…
Messerschmitt Crash in Wernigerode
I didn’t expect to fall in love with the train. When I planned my trip to Germany, I expected that I would be able to keep up with my normal…
CHip on ATC, Ambulance Needed, Accident Report and AXALP ’23Could they have called him? If he asked for fuel via radio, the refueler might have been working with a…
Harrow on ATC, Ambulance Needed, Accident Report and AXALP ’23"The refueller was delayed and did not arrive at the operator’s apron until after the aircraft had departed." ...And no…
Brian Kupfer on The History ListenAny suggestions on good books on Smirnoff? I know just enough about him to be wrong (The anchor) and would…
Ray on Low Altitude, High Risks: Fifteen minute flight turns fatalI almost stopped reading at he “did not have an instrument rating “, thinking this was foreshadowing the inevitable outcome.…
Mendel on Low Altitude, High Risks: Fifteen minute flight turns fatalI expect the engine stopped simply because it and the fuel system are not designed to operate in unusual attitudes.…