Category: Accidents and Incidents – Page 34
Stall and Fatal Crash at Houston Hobby
On the 9th of June 2016, a Cirrus SR20, registration N4252G crashed during a go-around at William P. Hobby airport, killing the pilot and two passengers. I first heard of this accident as a result of the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s video series although it happened a few years ago. I recommend the video but…
Read more… 10 May 19
The Amazing Survival of Lauren Elder
It been forty-two years since Lauren Elder survived a plane crash in the “Nevada Triangle”, the region in the Sierra Nevada mountains that claimed Steve Fossett’s life in 2007. The Nevada Triangle runs from Las Vegas, Nevada to Fresno, California at its base and Reno, Nevada as the top point. Lauren Elder’s flight was on…
Read more… 26 Apr 19
Flight AA300 Strikes Runway Sign on Departure
American Airlines flight 300 from New York to Los Angeles had a bit of a run-in last week. The aircraft, an Airbus A321-231 (registration N114NN) was on runway 31 at JFK with 109 passengers on board when they struck a runway sign showing 5,000 feet distance remaining. As the aircraft levelled out at FL200, 20,000…
Read more… 19 Apr 19
What happened on Ethiopian flight 302: a breakdown of the preliminary report
Yesterday, the 4th of April, the Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau investigating the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 released the Preliminary Report (local version stored at bottom of this post). Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, in the Boeing 737-8(MAX) registration number ET-AVJ, was a scheduled passenger flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. There were two flight…
Read more… 5 Apr 19
Go Around at Gibraltar
Last week, this video of an Airbus A320 performing a frankly frightening looking approach followed by a go around was splashed all over social media. Here’s the original footage on Twitter with an apology for the swearing: @GibChronicle @RockRadio @GBCNewsroom this is the original version…. apologies for the swearing. pic.twitter.com/F7wtmwtVqi — MackeminGib (@mackemsin) February 25,…
Read more… 1 Mar 19
Ground Collision at Nairobi
Two regional jets collided at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi last Saturday (9 Feb 2019). Both passenger jets were Embraer 190 owned by flag carrier airline Kenya Airways and were scheduled for routine maintenance. Apparently, one of the aircraft was in the process of a technical engine maintenance check when it “jumped off” while…
Read more… 22 Feb 19
Accident Analysis
Ferry Tank Failure: Successful SR22 Ditching in the Pacific
In 2015, I shared a video of an SR22 whose pilot successfully deployed his Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) off of the coast of Maui, Hawai’i. I wrote at the time…
The Man in the Right Seat at Prestwick
On the 23rd of April 2024, a Piper Archer II crashed in South Ayrshire, Scotland, after losing power. There were two on board. Both suffered serious injuries and the light…
Demystifying
The Pilots, the Probes, and the AF447 Verdict
On the 21st of May 2026, the Paris Court of Appeal convicted Airbus and Air France of involuntary manslaughter for their roles in the crash of Air France flight 447,…
Meowing on Guard (an attempt at an explanation)
Last week a video went viral and it’s been fun to see the mainstream media coverage try to cover two pilots who were heard making animal noises on the radio. …
History
The First Jet to Land on an Aircraft Carrier (Deliberately)
“The Vampire was the first jet to land on a moving aircraft carrier deliberately.” This quote from Airshow Luke, our MC at the Legacy of Liberty airshow, made me almost…
Four Point Two Stars Where You Only Stop If You Have To
I always look up airports when I’m writing about them, partly out of habit and partly because I’m afraid I’ll miss an important detail. When I was writing Any Landing…
Fun Stuff
Aviation Stories You Might Have Missed
I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season. This week, I’ve put together a compilation of interesting items in the press that you might have missed while enjoying…
Nathan Pyle Strange Worlds
Thank you so much for all the kind words. I don’t quite have the wherewithal to respond to each of you individually but I very much appreciate all of you…
