Flight Safety

Remember when you first picked up the mic in an airplane, either to ATC or at a non-towered field? Most of us were probably as tentative as a boy trying to get his first date. Even if you’re good at public speaking, few of us gain the comfort without first practicing with prepared remarks. But, […]

The NTSB has issued a preliminary report on a collision between a hot air balloon and a freight train that seriously injured the balloon pilot and two passengers on June 5. The Cameron Z-90 balloon landed beside the tracks and its deflating envelope got caught on a car on a freight train near Burlington, Wisconsin. “The […]

In two weeks, AT&T and Verizon will turn up the power on 5G signals around some of the country’s biggest airports and the FAA is imploring airlines to harden vulnerable aircraft against interference with their radar altimeters. The telecoms agreed to soften the introduction of 5G in January at some airports in the face of […]

The FAA is requiring SpaceX to take more than 75 actions to mitigate the potential environmental impact of its planned Starship/Super Heavy launch operations in Boca Chica, Texas, the agency announced on Monday. The requirements are the result of a recently completed environmental assessment conducted by the FAA as part of the decision-making process for […]

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause on the NTSB’s website at www.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the […]

The FAA launched its “Be ATC” recruiting campaign this week with the goal of hiring its “next generation” of aircraft traffic controllers. The application window will be open from June 24 to 27 for U.S. citizens who meet the agency’s eligibility requirements, which include the ability to speak English clearly, being no older than 30 […]

Almost from the beginning of our training, pilots are taught how to react to an engine failure. Before that, though, we’re also taught how to conduct a preflight inspection to ensure the engine (and the rest of the aircraft) is ready for what we are planning. That’s as it should be, since mechanical failures are […]

The Biden administration is planning to nominate Phillip Washington as the next FAA administrator, according to a report from The Seattle Times. Washington is currently serving as CEO of Denver International Airport (DEN), a position he has held since July 12, 2021, and his first aviation-related role. Before taking over at DEN, he worked as […]

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will […]

A close friend of mine, also a pilot, revels in flying low enough to view various features on the ground, to the extent a long cross-country flight in IMC not only bores him but seemingly can elevate any anxieties. I get it, and always enjoy that vista when I’m able. But I also subscribe to […]