Category: Accident Reports – Page 32
Alaska Airlines Flight 1866
39 years ago on the 4th of September 1971, Alaska Airlines Flight 1866 crashed on approach to Juneau, Alaska. The Boeing 727, carrying 104 passengers and 7 crew members, flew into the Chilkat Mountain range. There were no survivors. Aircraft Accident Report, Alaska Airlines, Inc. Boeing 727, N2969G The flight had been cleared for a…
Read more… 3 Sep 10
The Gimli Glider
On the 23rd of July 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 ran out of fuel at FL410 – 26,000 feet halfway through a 2,829 kilometre (1,768 mile) flight from Montreal to Edmonton. The Boeing 767-200 carrying 61 passengers managed to glide to safety to the Gimli Industrial Park Airport in Manitoba, a Canadian prairie province. What…
Read more… 23 Jul 10
Swissair Flight 111
I was talking to someone about the Northwest Flight 188 – the one where both pilots somehow managed to get so distracted that they missed their destination and did not respond for over an hour. I expressed some indignation that the FAA had revoked the licences of both pilots without waiting for the NTSB report.…
Read more… 5 Mar 10
Continental Flight 3407 Final Accident Report
Yesterday, the National Transportation Safety Board issued its final report on the Continental Flight 3407. On 12 February 2009, the plane lost control on approach to Buffalo, New York and crashed into a residential building, killing the crew and all of the passengers as well as a person on the ground. You can read the…
Read more… 26 Feb 10
Austin Pilot Suicide: Joe Stack
Yesterday morning, Joseph Andrew Stack flew his single-engine plane into the Echelon building in North Austin, Texas. He left Georgetown airfield and flew directly to the location – low and at full speed – before crashing into the building. It was quickly confirmed that this was intentional, a controlled flight into a building which housed…
Read more… 19 Feb 10
Slight Thump after Take-off
After landing on Jersey, my attention was immediately taken by a plane parked near the flying school, half a wing missing. A laminated sheet was attached. Ever the voyeur for accident reports, I couldn’t resist. The pilot had noticed a slight thump shortly after taking off. He checked for anything visibly wrong inside the cockpit…
Read more… 4 Jul 08
Accident Reports
A Perfect Day to Fly: The Tragic Story of the EAA AirVenture 2023 Midair Collision
In 2023, the annual EAA AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin was marred by a tragic mid-air collision. The EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) is an aviation organisation which has hosted fly-ins…
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…
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…
David Murray on Pilot in Piper Warrior II Arrested by Highway PatrolI was staying at the Budget Hotel across the street! 
David Provan on Over-The-Top Gun: When Overconfidence Meets GravityThe Champ was a better aircraft than the Cub in many ways. All-round better performance with the same engine, more…
Gene on Over-The-Top Gun: When Overconfidence Meets GravityAhhh... when you don't know enough so that you know you don't know enough. Applies to computers, motorcycles, engines, and…
Tim on Motor Glider’s Unexpected Touchdown on the A419Perhaps it should be noted that the feather position for the propeller prevents the prop from windmilling during gliding flight…
Mendel on Voepass flight 2283You said so two weeks ago. The evidence hasn't gotten any better since then. I'd take that bet. The Flight…
Simon Gunson on Voepass flight 2283Brazil's TV Globo claim to have a leaked copy of the transcript. In which they claim the first officer was…