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Unintended Tail Dragger: Prolonged Tail Strike at Milan

I can’t believe this video from Milan taken by CCTV last month. I’ve never seen a tail strike quite so… prolonged. The video was taken on the 9th of July 2024 at Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy and reported on by Corriere Della Sera (in Italian). The eleven-year-old Boeing 777-300ER, owned by Latam Airlines and…

Read more… 2 Aug 24

Fatal Crash Overshadows Opening Day of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024

On Monday, the 22nd of July, a Lancair Super ES crashed on approach to Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) flying into the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Oshkosh is the aviation event in the US and during the event, KOSH becomes the world’s busiest control tower. For that one week, Oshkosh has the highest concentration of aircraft in…

Read more… 26 Jul 24

From Mayday to Miracle: Cessna Bellylanding at Bankstown

On the 26th of May 2024, a private pilot in a Cessna T210 Centurion II suffered an engine failure while downwind at Bankstown Airport in New South Wales, Australia. What followed was an emergency landing on video that will make you sweat. The pilot and one passenger, his wife, were on a private flight between…

Read more… 19 Jul 24

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 be writing a review of an airshow, as a completely random example. Or you might be abducted by aliens who insist that you explain Earth…

Read more… 12 Jul 24

More than you ever wanted to know about Baltic International Air Show 2024

Thirteen thousand people descended on Liepāja Airport for the Baltic International Air Show on the weekend of June 15th. One of them was me, clutching a VIP ticket that I’d been offered just the week before. I expected an intimate airshow at a small airfield but the Baltic International Air Show was clearly a major…

Read more… 5 Jul 24

The Fenestron Factor: Cabri G2 Crash in Gruyéres

The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) has released the final report for the Cabri G2 light helicopter crash in Gruyères, Switzerland in 2022. I wrote about it at the time, but I’m repeating the information and the videos here for reference. The final report is only available in French, with no mention of it…

Read more… 28 Jun 24

Accident Reports

Farewell Flight Turns Fatal in Cairns

On the 12th of August in 2024, a pilot fatally crashed a Robinson R44 into the top of a hotel building in Cairns, Australia. The pilot held a commercial helicopter…

No Masks, No Oxygen, No Chance

On the 4th of June 2023, a Cessna Citation 560 aircraft crashed in Montebello, Virginia, killing the pilot and three passengers. The NTSB released their report on the 14th of…

Demystifying

How to tell a Russian Su-27 from a British Typhoon

This is not an article that I ever thought I would feel compelled to write! However, given the confusion over a photograph chosen in a regional English paper, apparently it’s…

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

Friday Lightness: A Short Respite from Crash Reports

It seems a good time for something a bit more lighthearted. After weeks of analyzing serious incidents and technical failures, I thought I could a moment to appreciate aviation humuor…

Flights of Fantasy: Aviation April Fools Worth Celebrating

I’m going to admit that I’m not a great fan of April Fools’ pranks, especially not attempts to trick people into believing something and then pulling the rug out from…