Category: Accident Reports – Page 5
Mid-air Collision of Wingsuit Flyer and Pilatus PC-6
On the 27th of July 2018, an experienced pilot departed with ten parachutists on board for a routine drop mission. It was the pilot’s fourth flight of the day in the Pilatus PC-6 Porter, a single-engine aircraft popular with parachuting and skydiving operations for its short take-off and landing capabilities and low maintenance requirements. The…
Read more… 8 Dec 23
Unravelling the 2010 Widerøe incident at Svolvær
You may remember this 2010 incident from Aviation Herald’s great reporting which led to international attention to the case. I wrote about Aviation Herald’s work on this in: 83ft above the sea at night and no investigation?. Initially, the Norwegian authorities dismissed the idea that the incident required official attention. Only after significant pressure from…
Read more… 10 Nov 23
The Illusion of a Perfect Landing
On the 6th of February 2010, at about half past four in the afternoon, an SAS flight took off from Copenhagen Airport for a short flight to France. Amazingly, everyone survived. The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-81. The MD-81 is the longer variant of the MD-80: a five-abreast single-aisle airliner designed as the second-generation…
Read more… 13 Oct 23
Final Report from the Contained Engine Failure of United flight 328
On the 20th of February 2021, United Airlines flight 328 made international headlines when a fan blade separated from the right engine shortly after take-off. Flight UA328 was a scheduled domestic flight from Denver International to Honolulu, Hawaii. The aircraft was a Boeing 777-200, registration N772UA, built in 1994 and powered by two Pratt &…
Read more… 29 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
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
Accident Reports
Pave Hawk Helicopter and Crew Destroyed by Bird Strike
It was a quiet winter evening in the English village of Cley next the Sea, population 400. 2014 was just one week old and everyone was just getting back into…
CRJ 200 ferry flight crash with 19 on board at Kathmandu
Last week, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission, formed by the Government of Nepal to investigate the accident of 9N-AME on the 24th of July 2024, released their final report. There’s…
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…
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…
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
From B-52 Bomb Bays to Birthday Flights
It seems like a good time for a bit of lightness as a break from fatal crashes. Luckily, I have just the thing: some reader contributions along with a personal…
How the B-52 Lands in Crosswinds
I’m here, defeated but not yet horizontal, the victim of a relentless summer cold that feels like the universe’s revenge for something I can’t even remember. If I don’t make…
CHip on Pave Hawk Helicopter and Crew Destroyed by Bird StrikeI live in an area with lots of non-migratory geese. I've never tried to disturb them in the nighttime(*) so…
Glen Miller on Pave Hawk Helicopter and Crew Destroyed by Bird StrikeI would never assume that a bedded-down bird, would stay bedded down, after a low level helicopter fly-by. I think…
Georgina on Pave Hawk Helicopter and Crew Destroyed by Bird StrikeI was thinking that maybe we should invest in a squadron of trained attack geese for air defence... 
Mendel on Pave Hawk Helicopter and Crew Destroyed by Bird StrikeAnd some people worry about drones or UFOs... ;-) 
Jon on Pave Hawk Helicopter and Crew Destroyed by Bird StrikeOne wonders if it might be a good idea to measure bird activity After a military helicopter has just flown…