Latest Posts   –  Page 69

Amelia Earhart Captured By Japanese

On Wednesday, the news hit the headlines that a newly discovered photograph could show Amelia Earhart in Japanese custody. The photograph, apparently taken by a US spy in the 1930s, shows what appears to be a seated woman with rough curly hair. The location of the photograph is given as Jaluit Atoll on the Marshall…

Read more… 7 Jul 17

The Sight of Blood

When I first glanced at this accident report, I was surprised and unhappy that the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority seemed to be scolding the captain for what seems to me to have been an entirely logical response to an emergency. It wasn’t until I read the whole report that it became clear that the…

Read more… 30 Jun 17

Paris Air Show 2017

The Paris Air Show is the commercial aviation event of 2017 and last week it hosted some great flying as well as interesting news and press releases. #Bourget2017 jour 5: venez échanger avec nos équipes #RH sur notre stand à l'@AviondesMetiers #PAS2017 #ThalesNow pic.twitter.com/oll8oiUsm4 — Thales France (@thalesjobs) June 23, 2017 I’ve been following the…

Read more… 23 Jun 17

Sutlej Missing Over Indian Ocean

On 25 March 1986, three Antonov An-32 transport planes departed Muscat, the capital of Oman, in a staggered formation for the Indian Air Force base at Jagmagar. Initially, the Indian Air Force were using Douglas DC-3 Dakotas and Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars for their transport. In the 1980s, spurred by the developing relationship between Leonid…

Read more… 9 Jun 17

Foxy Lady Belly Up Landing

Last weekend the last Sea Vixen executed an emergency belly landing at the Royal Naval Air Station in Yeovilton. The aircraft was flying back from the Duxford Air Show in Cambridgeshire when the pilot contacted Yeovilton Tower to ask for a visual of the landing gear. The controller confirmed that the undercarriage was clean, which…

Read more… 2 Jun 17

He’s a Terror in a Twin

Sometimes it’s obvious how an accident report is going to end from the very first sentence. NTSB Identification: CEN15FA400 “The airplane owner, who was a noninstrument-rated private pilot and did not hold a multiengine airplane rating, was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR), personal cross-county flight in the multiengine airplane.” I almost did not bother…

Read more… 26 May 17

Accident Reports

No Masks, No Oxygen, No Chance

On the 4th of June 2023, a Cessna Citation 560 aircraft crashed in Montebello, Virginia, killing the pilot and three passengers. The NTSB released their report on the 14th of…

Hand on Thrust, Brain on Autopilot

On the 28th of June 2024 a Boeing 777-236, registered in the UK as G-VIIT, rejected a take-off after reaching V1 during the take-off roll on 26L at London Gatwick…

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

Friday Lightness: A Short Respite from Crash Reports

It seems a good time for something a bit more lighthearted. After weeks of analyzing serious incidents and technical failures, I thought I could a moment to appreciate aviation humuor…

Flights of Fantasy: Aviation April Fools Worth Celebrating

I’m going to admit that I’m not a great fan of April Fools’ pranks, especially not attempts to trick people into believing something and then pulling the rug out from…