Accidents/NTSB

The Canadian pilot who crashed a flying club Cessna 172 on the Nashville International Airport on Oct. 29, 2013, had a blood alcohol content (BAC) above state and federal limits, according to the Tennessee Medical Examiner. Pilot Michael Callans blood alcohol level was 0.081 percent, more than twice that allowed by the Federal Aviation Regulations […]

Aviation lore is full of heroes like Chuck Yeager, who saved the day while calmly muttering on the radio something about some little fire going in them engines or such. The quiet, unflappable, laid-back flyer has been the role model for young pilots since the days of the Lone Eagle. But, is there such a […]

On Jan. 16 the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its annual Most Wanted list of needed improvements in transportation safety. The aviation-related items are a need to identify and communicate hazardous weather conditions to pilots, address the unique characteristics of helicopter operations, strengthen occupant protection, improve fire safety and eliminate pilot distractions. At a […]

Even as the number of laser attacks on aircraft has shot up, convictions of the accused have been difficult to achieve. Now, as reported by Phys.org, new, reasonably priced technology may help. In 2006, 384 laser attacks on flight crews were reported-that number shot up to 3482 in 2012 and, while all data has not […]

A Japan Airlines Boeing 787 was grounded early Wednesday because of an overheated cell in one of its lithium ion batteries. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the incident occurred about 4 a.m. local time at Tokyo’s Narita Airport. The aircraft did not have any passengers aboard but was scheduled to fly to Bangkok […]

Two pilots and two passengers on a Citation died Sunday when the aircraft apparently hit an electric tower in heavy fog while trying to land at a German airport. Local authorities say all four were German but no identities were released. When emergency crews arrived they found the plane inverted near a landfill and in […]

In an AVweb Insider blog a month ago, we observed how the FAA got rapid and intense pushback on its proposal to require sleep apnea diagnosis for pilots with BMIs of 40 or higher. In this guest blog, the NTSB’s Mark Rosekind explains that the agency has given this topic more than a passing glance. […]

Thanks to radio traffic recorded by LiveATC.net, we know that winds may have been a factor in the crash of a Challenger 600 at Aspen on Sunday. AVweb’s Russ Niles prepared this report. Duration: File Size: download here

Remember the movie, Wall-E, a Pixar animated tale whose subtext was that technology eventually evolved to be so all enveloping that humans were reduced to quivering mounds of fat conveyed in bins attached to a mechanical belt? If that future awaits us all, are airline pilots leading the way? In the midst of its investigation […]

A Eurocopter EC135 T2 police helicopter crashed Friday night into the roof of a Glasgow pub, which at least partially collapsed. Nine people, including the pilot and two others in the helicopter, were killed and 14 others were in the hospital with injuries.Early reports say the helicopter had a crew of two police officers and […]