Flight Safety

AVweb’s Flight Safety section offers in-depth coverage of aviation safety topics, including accident analyses, risk management strategies, regulatory updates, and pilot training insights. Designed for pilots, instructors, and aviation professionals, this section provides timely information to enhance situational awareness and promote best practices in flight operations.

FAA Opens Houston Space Safety Office

The FAA opened a new field office in Houston, Texas, on Monday designed to expand its oversight of commercial space operations in Texas and New Mexico. According to the agency, the Space Safety field office will allow it to more efficiently monitor testing programs and commercial space tourism operations conducted by companies including SpaceX, Blue […]

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General Aviation Accident Bulletin

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 […]

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Balloon Pilot Falls To Death, Passengers Fly On

One of hot air ballooning’s most respected pilots died in a bizarre incident that also sent three of his passengers on a free flight over rural Vermont and into New Hampshire. Brian Boland, 72, took off from Silver Maple Lodge in Fairlee, Vermont, on Thursday with four passengers who had purchased the flight through the […]

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AOPA Says FAA Prosecuting ‘Volunteer’ CFIs On Special Aircraft

AOPA is warning flight instructors they can’t provide instruction for free in limited, experimental and primary category aircraft without risking sanctions from the FAA. AOPA says the agency has gone after CFIs who have given instruction as volunteers, citing regs that say money doesn’t have to change hands for them to have received “compensation.” According […]

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FAA Grounds Operator Of Ditched 737-200

Reuters is reporting the FAA has grounded Rhoades Aviation, whose Boeing 737-200 ditched off Honolulu July 2, and has also revealed that action against the operator has been in the works since last fall. The company, which operated the 737 cargo flight under the Trans Air name, was notified on June 13 that it was […]

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A One-Airplane Flight School?

We are encouraged but cautious when we learn of impending entrepreneurship in the aviation world. We know that the odds of success for startups are not outstanding, but for those who do their homework and find the right niche, they improve. After all, we know that there is money in aviation—we put a lot of […]

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General Aviation Accident Bulletin

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 […]

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Ditched 737 Broke Into Three Pieces

Based on underwater photos of the wreckage, the pilots of a first generation Boeing 737 that ditched off Hawaii a couple of weeks ago used up all their bad luck with the double engine failure that preceded the water landing. The 45-year-old 200-series aircraft broke into three main pieces before settling to the bottom in […]

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Nine Killed In Skydiving Crash

A DHC-2 Turbo Beaver crashed shortly after takeoff from Sweden’s Örebro airport on Thursday, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and eight skydivers, all members of a local skydiving club. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven declared a day of mourning for the victims, whose names have not been released […]

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Transport Canada, FAA Issue Emergency ADs After Bell 212 Crash

Transport Canada and the FAA have issued emergency airworthiness directives (ADs) grounding some Bell 212, 204B, 205A-1 and 205B helicopters pending replacement of certain outboard main rotor hub strap pins. The ADs stem from an investigation into the fatal crash of a Bell 212 helicopter in Edmonton, Canada, last week, which found that the outboard […]

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