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Pilots Parachuting out of their Planes
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the supposed engine failure in a Taylorcraft B vintage aircraft over Los Padres National Forest in California: Vintage Plane Crash Possibly Done For Video Views. Last week, the New York Times published the basics from a leaked document detailing the enforcement action against the pilot. Since then, a…
Read more… 29 Apr 22
April Showers Bring…More Questions and Answers
It’s time again for a collection of questions from readers for the community to answer. This time, I’ve collected some questions from the comments that didn’t get much attention previously. If you know the answer, come on over the comments and leave a note. If you have a question, add it to the comments (one…
Read more… 22 Apr 22
Alitalia flight 404: The result of a dozen small decisions
Last week, we looked at the key events that led to the Alitalia flight 404 crash. A few points from the previous post: Maintenance replaced both radio receivers in the aircraft and the crew were aware they needed testing. On approach, the two receivers gave conflicting results. At least one of the receivers appears to…
Read more… 15 Apr 22
Alitalia Flight 404: “Catch the glide!”
On the 14th of November 1990, Alitalia flight AZ404 crashed into high ground upon approach to Zürich. The accident was investigated by the Federal Aircraft Accidents Inquiry Board in Switzerland and was supported by the United States National Transport and Safety Board. One aspect that makes it interesting is that the two boards came to…
Read more… 8 Apr 22
Vintage Plane Crash Possibly Done For Video Views
I’m not much one for April Fools Day, I have to admit, but it seemed a good opportunity to look at the controversy surrounding a young man who is accused of faking an engine failure and crash in order to get more views on YouTube. The accident took place on the 24th of November 2021…
Read more… 1 Apr 22
Initial Information on China Eastern Airlines flight 5735
On Monday, the 21st of March 2022, China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 crashed into mountainous terrain during a scheduled passenger flight from Kunming to Guangzhou in the People’s Republic of China. There were 132 souls onboard with no survivors. The search for life continues in difficult terrain but after five days, it seems unlikely. The…
Read more… 25 Mar 22
Accident Reports
Wings Over Dallas: How Poor Systems Led to Mid-Air Collision
On the 12th of November 2022, a Bell P-63F Kingcobra fighter flew into a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress bomber during the Wings Over Dallas airshow. All six crew members in…
"Totally a visibility issue."
On Sunday, the 27th of November 2022, a single-engine aircraft made national US news when it crashed through power lines in Gaithersburg, Maryland, coming to rest on a lattice tower.…
Demystifying
How to tell an F-16 Fighting Falcon from a Eurofighter Typhoon
There are a number of reasons why you might need to quickly point out the differences between a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and a Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon. You might…
Extreme Turbulence in Singapore Airlines flight 321
A few days ago (21st of May 2024), Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 encountered heavy turbulence on a passenger flight from London-Heathrow to Singapore. There were 229 on board, including eighteen…
History
Gladys Ingle Inflight Wheel Change: Emergency Action or Stunt?
This video of a mid-air wheel exchange goes viral once a year or so, but I never get tired of watching it. Last week, it showed up on Reddit and…
The Disappearance of the Hawaii Clipper May Not Be as Mysterious as Was Thought
This week, we have a guest post by J.B. Rivard who wrote an article for the American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS) and used one of my articles as a reference.…
Fun Stuff
Terminally Early: The Berlin Viewing Platform
Mistakes were made. All of them were mine. Before I left for Dresden, I planned out my full itinerary. Berlin is a much busier airport than Tallinn, so I needed…
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…
Minz on Navigating Instrument Failure at 10,000 FeetThe number of time people get away with these things, just one hole in the Swiss cheese doesn’t line up……
Mike Scirocco on Wings Over Dallas: How Poor Systems Led to Mid-Air CollisionThanks for another interesting writeup. A sad story. I'm VERY happy to hear the FAA and ICA were informed with…
Pradeep Arora on Wings Over Dallas: How Poor Systems Led to Mid-Air CollisionTotally avoidable. Two different aircraft, operating in close quarters needs a plan. The AirBoss needs to be called out 
CHip on Wings Over Dallas: How Poor Systems Led to Mid-Air CollisionExcellent analysis. I hadn't realized that there were "air bosses" who would wing a show instead of giving cues for…
Mendel on Mid-air collision at Wings Over DallasThe final report is out. NTSB also put a summary on youtube, and it includes a flight track animation along…