Latest Posts – Page 30
The faulty AOA sensor on Ethiopian flight 302
The NTSB report submitted in response to the third draft covers two areas: Airframe/Systems and Operational and Human Factors. Today, I’m going to focus on the airframes and systems. The BEA report will give us more insight into the Operational and Human Factors, as it is based on their analysis of the Cockpit Voice Recording.…
Read more… 3 Feb 23
Controversy Surrounds Final Report on Ethiopian flight 302
The final report on Ethiopian flight 302 was released by Ethiopian Accident Investigation Board (EAIB) on the 23rd of December 2022. I’d like to go over the full report in detail but first, let’s take a look at the controversy around the release. Specifically, I want to pay attention to what the report doesn’t say. Ethiopian Airlines…
Read more… 27 Jan 23
Yeti Airlines flight 691 crash in Nepal
On the 15th of January 2023, Yeti Airlines flight 691, a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Kathmandu, crashed on approach to Pokhara, killing all 72 souls on board. The aircraft was a fifteen-year-old ATR 72-500, registered 9N-ANC. The ATR 72 is a French twin-engined turboprop popular for short-haul services. The “72” refers to the standard…
Read more… 20 Jan 23
Flying Blind: The Importance of NOTAMs in Aviation
On the 11th of January 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US stopped all departing commercial flights, grounding aircraft all over the US. Hot on the heels of what’s now being referred to as the “Southwest meltdown,” outdated IT systems are once again centre stage. Wednesday’s outage caused the most extensive ground stop…
Read more… 13 Jan 23
2022 In Review
Top Ten Posts of 2022 I always enjoy taking this look at the data at the end of the year from a pure statistical point of view. Here’s the most popular posts of 2022 as we get ready to soar (badum tish!) into 2023. 10 The Sad Story of the Seawind 3000 N8UU My favourite…
Read more… 6 Jan 23
Sliding into 2023
A quick hello from Germany to say that I hope you have, as the Germans say, a good slide into the New Year. I’m also excited to tell you that my next book will be coming out in March. I’ll tell you more about it soon but today I want to offer you a sneak…
Read more… 30 Dec 22
Accident Reports
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…
