I’m on the road this week but luckily for us, my friend Elisa Bird agreed that I could share one of her great articles with you all. Given the frantic pace of aviation news lately, I thought perhaps a visit to an accident of yesteryear with Elisa’s insight would be welcome, specifically around the emergency…
Read more… 7 Mar 25
This year is turning out to be quite the collection of aviation incidents, with the dramatic video of Southwest flight 2504’s go-around at Chicago Midway making headlines around the world. This is feeding into a growing narrative of aviation issues, especially in the US, with many expressing concern that aviation is no longer safe. Part…
Read more… 28 Feb 25
On the 17th of February 2025, Delta flight 4819 from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Toronto, Ontario suffered a hard landing and flipped over, bursting into flames. The aircraft was fully loaded with 76 passengers and four crew on board. One passenger wrote about the experience on Reddit: I felt what seemed like too violent of jerking…
Read more… 21 Feb 25
On the 11th of February 2025, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 was cleared for take-off at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Boeing (registered in Brazil as PS-GPP) was operated by GOL Transportes Aeros, a low-cost airline based in Rio de Janeiro. That morning, it was scheduled for flight G3-1674, a late-night domestic flight from Rio…
Read more… 14 Feb 25
Leeds Bradford Airport in England, perched on a windy hilltop, is known for its challenging conditions. But even by Leeds standards, the conditions on the 20th of October 2023 were rough, as Storm Babet battered the British Isles with high winds and heavy rain. The thirteen-year-old Boeing 737-8KS registered in the UK as G-TAWD started…
Read more… 7 Feb 25
A tragic mid-air collision took place near Washington DC on the 29th of January 2025. A Bombardier CRJ700, operating as American Eagle flight 5342 and a Sikorsky H-60 “Black Hawk” military helicopter crashed into each other at around 200 to 300 feet above ground level over the Potomac River. Flight 5342 was a scheduled domestic…
Read more… 31 Jan 25
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…
TNflygirl and the Beech Debonair
On the 7th of December 2023, a Beech 35-C33 Debonair crashed into terrain. The private pilot and the passenger, the pilot’s father, were both killed on impact. The private flight…
Trump Threatens to Ground Canadian Aircraft Over Gulfstream Certification
The US President, Donald Trump, posted the following to Truth Social last night. Based on the fact that Canada has wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly refused to certify the Gulfstream 500,…
Another quick round of questions and answers
It’s time for another Questions and Answers session. I started this series a few years back, when a reader asked if there was a way to pose aviation questions outside…
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…
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…
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…