Latest Posts   –  Page 87

Why Planes Crash now available in paperback!

So, it’s been a long time coming because I wanted to make sure that the book print quality was good and that there was enough content to make it worth the print costs. I’ve finally got it all organised. Yes, that’s right. I can finally offer you a book that you can hold in your…

Read more… 2 Dec 15

The Flying, Driving Automobile

Are you stuck for the perfect gift for the pilot in your life? I’ve got a guest post for you this week which may help! Aria Wrigley takes a look at the latest innovations in fly-drive vehicles. Aria is my daughter and I am delighted to have a guest post from her. And Santa, if…

Read more… 27 Nov 15

Which Way is Up? John F Kennedy Jr plane crash

John F. Kennedy Jr. died on the 16th of July 1999, when his aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. He was piloting the airplane; his wife and her sister were in the back. This 16-year-old accident came up in the comments recently (and if you aren’t reading the…

Read more… 20 Nov 15

Factual Version of the Clipper Eclipse crash featured in the Oatmeal

This week The Oatmeal presented a comic strip entitled It’s going to be okay about Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, who survived a plane crash in 1947. It’s a motivational comic meant, the author says, to remind us that our journeys are short. You can read the comic here: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/plane. It’s a lovely…

Read more… 13 Nov 15

Very little official information: Kogalymavia (Metrojet) Flight 9268

Obviously right now the issue on everyone’s mind is the Metrojet A321 lost in Egypt. News is coming in faster than I can filter it and I strongly suspect that by the time I post this, the information will be out of date. Certainly, I’ve had to throw away one draft today already! Let’s look…

Read more… 6 Nov 15

Amazing MD-80 Departure from Princess Juliana

I admit, I have a soft spot for island runways. And one of the most famous island runways is runway 10 at Princess Juliana International Airport on Sint Maarten, with low-altittude final approaches happening very close to Maho Beach. Princess Juliana airport is regularly the subject of viral videos showing aircraft coming in low over…

Read more… 30 Oct 15

Accident Reports

Bomber 139's Third Run: What the Investigation Found

In order to follow this analysis, you’ll need to have the details of the flight and the crash from last week’s article about the flight. When we last saw Bomber…

Bomber 139's Third Run: Downhill to Disaster

On the 6th of February 2023, a Boeing 737-3H4 Large Air Tanker crashed into a ridge line of 222 feet elevation in Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia. There…

Demystifying

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…

Durga Puja Pandal Shows Air India Flight 171 Crash

The following video from a religious festival in West Bengal, India, has caught a lot of social media attention. It shows a detailed representation of an Air India Boeing Dreamliner…

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

The Mystery of the Caged Tyres and the Porcupine Who Flew Home

This photograph was posted to r/shittyaskflying, a subreddit dedicated to asking silly questions and giving silly answers. In this case, the photograph is enough to make one wonder what’s going…

Songs About Failed Spacecraft and Space Disasters

This week, I’m handing over Fear of Landing to my friend Jack Keller who promised me a playlist of music relating to my interests. All of the titles except one…