Instrument approach procedures are pre-determined paths and maneuvers that, if followed, will guide an aircraft to a runway in reduced visibility.  The last leg of an instrument approach procedure is typically a straight line (more or less) to the end of the runway.  The straight line minimizes the turns the pilot must make to land the aircraft. N880Z Crashes during Circles to Runway 27 Sometimes a pilot flies an instrument approach procedure but, just before landing the aircraft, turns the aircraft to land on a different, perpendicular runway.  Flying an instrument approach pro ..read more

Some media outlets have reported that poor visibility from the PG&E Dixie wildfire smoke may have caused the Bombardier Challenger jet crash in Truckee.   If true, would that make PG&E liable? Probably not. PG&E is liable to those whose property burned in the Dixie Fire, or those whose property was damaged by smoke from the fire.  That’s because California’s inverse condemnation doctrine essentially makes PG&E  automatically liable for property damage claims resulting from fires that its equipment sparks.  Further, PG&E may be liable to affected property ..read more

Few turns in aviation are as dangerous as the “base-to-final” turn.  That’s the last turn the pilot executes to line up with the runway. When that final turn is made, the aircraft is always low and slow. If the pilot tightens the turn too much, the aircraft can stall and crash.  The factors that contribute to a base-to-final crash include: The pilot carrying too much speed, thus requiring a tighter turn so as not to overshoot the runway centerline; A tail wind requiring a tighter turn so as not to overshoot the runway centerline; The aircraft being low in the turn, leading the pilo ..read more

At first glance, this week’s crash of Cirrus N89423 at Truckee looks like yet another “high density altitude” accident.  Such accidents are, after all, perhaps the most common type of accident at Truckee airport.  Due to the thin air, the aircraft cannot climb fast enough to clear rising terrain or to maintain altitude in Accident Aircraft downdrafts.  Sometimes the climb performance might be adequate but the pilot, growing impatient, asks more of the aircraft than it can then provide, usually with lethal results. Certainly, this accident has many of the earmarks of the typical ..read more

In May, a Piper Navajo PA-31 crashed shortly after takeoff from Myrtle Beach.  The pilot was ATP-rated and worked for American Airlines.  He knew he was in trouble almost immediately after takeoff.  He tried to return to the airport.  He reached an altitude of about 1000 feet, then dropped 475 feet, then climbed 700 feet, then dropped off radar at 450 feet.  The pilot was killed in the crash. The NTSB now says the aircraft had just come out of an annual inspection.  The control surfaces had been removed and repainted during the annual. It appears that the aircraft ..read more

Among the most dangerous  activities in the aviation industry is the installation on an aircraft of unapproved or bogus parts – parts that have not been properly tested, approved, and certified as safe.  The practice has been linked to the crash of both commercial and private aircraft.  It is illegal to install uncertified parts on an aircraft and the practice is so dangerous that those who do can end up in jail. The FAA has now determined that Boeing installed unapproved parts on over 700 of its 737 aircraft.   We’re not talking here about parts related to the crash o ..read more

Families of those lost in the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash met with Biden’s Transportation Department seeking to get the top FAA official fired for being “too cozy” with Boeing. According to the families, “The FAA has been, and continues to be, more interested in protecting Boeing and the aviation industry than safety.”  The families specifically question why the FAA did not ground the Max jets after the crash of the first 737 Max crash in Indonesia. The problem, however, is  not just the FAA leadership.  Rather it’s the entire FAA system that needs to be overhauled ..read more

On October 2, 2019, a World War II-era B-17 flying fortress bomber departed Bradley International Airport in Connecticut for a local sightseeing flight with 10 paying tourists on board.  Shortly after takeoff  the pilot radioed that he was returning to the airport because of an engine problem.  A witness reported an engine was sputtering and smoking. Ultimately, the pilot reported a problem with yet another of the aircraft’s engines. The airplane crashed on the airport premises and burst into flames. Seven occupants were killed. Two persons on the ground were injured. (This figu ..read more

The pilot of a Bellanca 8GCBC Scout, Registration N4116Y, died when the aircraft crashed at Byron Airport on May 9th.  According to a witness, the tow plane took off pulling a glider. While still at a low altitude, the glider climbed abruptly.  The maneuver pulled the tail of the tow plane into the air, pointing its nose down.  “The tow plane cut the cord and tried to recover but it was too late.” The tow plane crashed onto the runway and caught fire. Accident Aircraft Prepares for Glider Tow This particular accident profile is not uncommon.  That’s why it is the responsibi ..read more

From the outset it looked to me as though the Kobe Bryant crash was a simple case of “continued VFR into IMC” — a crash caused by a pilot wandering into clouds and fog and losing control of the helicopter and crashing. The NTSB’s update seems to confirm just that.   Here are the four important points from the update: A photograph of the helicopter seems to show it entering clouds. The pilot was on a visual flight rules (or “VFR”) flight. On a VFR flight, the pilot is supposed to control the helicopter by looking out the window rather than by looking at the helicopter’s instrumen ..read more