Flight Safety

As Boeing tweaked final development of the 737 MAX, it made the MCAS autotrim system more aggressive and ultimately riskier, according to a new report in The New York Times. Boeing failed to inform even its own test pilots and the FAA about the revisions. MCAS—Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System—was added to the 737 MAX to […]

While it’s common for airports to list “birds in the vicinity,” this alert for Situk Airport in Alaska warns of especially distracted type engaged in perpetuating our national symbol: Additional Remarks • RY SAFETY AREA 75 FT WIDE FULL LENGTH WITH GROUND RISING AND FALLING OVER 12 INCHES. MAINTAIN CNTRLN CONTROL. • TREES BTN 50 […]

This week, AVweb’s news roundup uncovered reports of an aviation safety day to be held in New York, a Father’s Day celebration at a helicopter museum, new service routes in New England, a sales territory expansion for Cutter Aviation and the relocation of H.E.R.O.S. The 4th Annual Westchester Aviation Association’s (WAA) General Aviation safety conference […]

Helicopters participating in the disaster response efforts surrounding severe flooding in Oklahoma are having trouble with illegal unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drone) operations interfering with their flights. According to Tulsa Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Little, emergency response personnel encountered approximately 30 drones flying illegally on Wednesday alone. Little emphasized that emergency response helicopters can’t operate when […]

Alsim announced on Wednesday that the FAA has approved its AL172 simulator as an Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD). According to the company, several of the simulators are already in use in the U.S. at Liberty University flight training affiliates Cirrus Aviation and Paragon Flight Training with two more scheduled to be installed at Kent […]

It’s been nine years since the University of North Dakota Flying Team won the SAFECON competition, but don’t let that under-represent the team’s stellar track record. It has placed first or second in 30 of the last 36 competitions, hosted by the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA). Made up of challenges ranging from “aircraft recognition […]

AOPA sent an alert to its members today reminding them of the hazards of contaminated jet fuel. Earlier this month, two Cessna Citation 550s landed safely after being fueled at the Punta Gorda, Florida, airport with jet fuel contaminated by DEF, which is an additive used in diesel fuel to reduce emissions in cars and […]

The EAA and the FAA carried out a two-day Recreational Aviation Summit at the association’s Oshkosh, Wisconsin, headquarters last week focusing on legislative matters important to recreational pilots. No doubt the 20 FAA officials attending were happy not to be talking about Boeing 737s. “This summit is a unique, fruitful way to engage FAA policymakers […]

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 accident, […]

Bye Aerospace’s new Eflyer electric trainer is just embarking on early test flights. AVweb recently visited the company’s Denver-based factory and had a look at the new airplane. The company says it will be certified in about two years.