Accidents/NTSB

Over the next week or 10 days, I’ll be writing a few blogs on aviation risk assessment—how people judge it and how they mitigate it. While I’m getting started on that, a reader wrote to challenge my assessment of the J-3 Cub’s safety and crashworthiness. I touched on this in the Aviation Consumer article that […]

Certainly the disappearance of Malaysian Flight 370 can be classified as the greatest mystery since Amelia Earhart. But after numerous conversations with airline colleagues, aviation friends, neighbors, workout buddies and bartenders, I’ve uncovered another mystery. Despite scientific evidence that proves otherwise, many of these educated people are emphatic in their belief that a 650,000-pound airplane […]

I’m up early every morning and my normal sweep of the overnight aviation news turned up that stunning video of the ATR crash in Taipei. Even in my pre-caffeinated state, the video practically lifted me out of my chair. My brain couldn’t quite parse what my eyes were seeing. And now, what I think all […]

The crew of the TransAsia Airways ATR-72 that crashed into a river near Taipei on Tuesday reportedly transmitted “Mayday, mayday, engine flameout,” according to a BBC report, but officials did not immediately verify the communications with ATC. Whatappears to be adashcam videoposted by SkyNet shows the turboprop striking a bridge in a near 90-degree left […]

I’m figuring at the very least, CPO Kurt Fredrickson and PO2 Tara Molle deserve a nice fruit basket and future Christmas cards from Cirrus. In the course of their normal duties, these two Coast Guard NCOs delivered promotional gold for Cirrus when they edited a stunning video of the Cirrus SR22 ditching off Maui on […]

When considering how to crash, my first bit of advice is don’t do it. Since the reality of any flight is that things can go wrong, that isn’t particularly helpful, I know. What can go wrong? Your crankshaft can break, your fuel lines can clog or, if you are a damn fool, you can run […]

Cockpit cameras and improved locator technology are among the recommendations the NTSB put before the FAA Thursday in the wake of investigations including the crash of Air France 447 and the yet-to-be-found Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. Following up on a technology forum last fall, the NTSB reiterated its idea thata “crash-protected image recording system” to […]

The NTSB this week released its annual “Most Wanted” list of safety improvements. Board member Earl Weener, who is a general aviation pilot himself, talked with Mary Grady about the issues affecting the GA fleet and some strategies that can help improve the safety record. Duration: 7:50 File Size: 7.2 MB download here

Divers have located the empennage section of AirAsia Flight 8501, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said on Wednesday local time. It’s not yet known if the wreckage found contains the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, which are normally located in the rear of the aircraft. Nor did the agency say whether acoustic equipment had […]

A7-year-oldgirl was the sole survivor of the crash of a Piper Seneca in a remote area of Kentucky Friday night that killed four others, according to Kentucky State Police. The aircraft had been en route from Key West, Florida, to Mount Vernon, Illinois, authorities reported. On Saturday, authorities identified the girl as Sailor Gutzler. In […]