Flight Safety

The National Transportation Safety Board said today that the Atlas Air 3591 flight data recorder has been recovered. As we reported previously, the cockpit voice recorder had already been recovered. The Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft, flying for Amazon Air, crashed last Saturday on approach to Houston Intercontinental (IAH), killing the pilots and one non-revenue jump-seat […]

As instrument pilots we are aware of many things that are important to safe flying. Of the many critical items, one that often gets neglected is runway markings—literally the “paint” on the runway, as opposed to runway and taxi lights and signs. Needless to say, I’m referring to paved runways, not grass strips nor waterways […]

If you’ve been flying for very long, it’s likely there’s a route you frequently use. It could be a quick out-and-back to the nearest $100 hamburger or cheapest avgas, or an hours-long trek to Grandma’s house. It’s something you’ve flown often and know well enough to almost do it without a chart. You understand the […]

Every year a AirVenture, EAA offers simulator-based pilot proficiency training for pilots attending the show. This year, AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli showed that he can make a hash of a sim session just as well as the next guy can. view on YouTube

SpaceX celebrated the successful launch of its Crew Dragon capsule followed by the successful autonomous docking of the spacecraft at the International Space Station on the weekend as a prelude to the resumption of manned U.S. space flights, possibly in the next year. The crew capsule was unmanned but carried a life-sized mannequin named Ripley […]

ICON’s St. Louis Demonstration Flights The St. Louis demo flights by an Icon sales rep caused quite a stir in the local media. What was not reported by you is the aircraft was operating between two heavily trafficked bridges that are only four thousand feet apart. The bridges (over one hundred feet above the water) […]

A banner towing pilot died and dozens of others had a close call on Friday when a banner plane flying along Fort Lauderdale’s beachfront hit a condo building and fell about 150 feet to a pool deck below. The Piper Pawnee operated by Aerial Banners Inc. hit the building between the 16th and 17th floor. […]

The NTSB has located and recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from Atlas Air Flight 3591, a Boeing 767 cargo jet that crashed in Trinity Bay in Anahuac, Texas, on Saturday. The flight data recorder has not yet been located. According to the NTSB, the CVR is being transported to the NTSB labs in Washington, […]

Superior Air Parts has grounded all of its XP-382 and XP-400 experimental engines due to detonation problems found in some XP-400s, according to AVweb sister publication Kitplanes. The company has also implemented a mandatory buy-back program for both engine types. Both the grounding and the buy-backs are effective immediately. “Throughout Superior Air Parts’ 50-plus year […]

The FAA has issued a new rule prohibiting the transport of lithium ion cells or batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft. This revision of the Hazardous Materials Regulations also requires lithium ion cells and batteries to be shipped at not more than a 30 percent charge on cargo-only aircraft and limits the use of alternative […]