Flight Safety

Air China will take a “zero tolerance” approach to its investigation of a first officer’s apparently bungled attempt to sneak an in-flight vape aboard one of its Boeing 737s last Tuesday. The FO is reported to have meant to shut off the air recycling system aboard the aircraft while it was at cruise to cover […]

I had an instructor who had a teaching technique unlike any other instructor I’ve flown with. Let’s call it teaching by ambush. On this particular flight, we were in a non-pressurized twin, repositioning it to pick up our passengers. It was a cold morning, and I was a complete newbie to the multi-engine training. My […]

The governor of Hawaii signed a bill removing criminal penalties for many airport violations last week. Prior to the bill’s passing, Hawaii was the only state where violations unrelated to airport security could result in criminal misdemeanor charges. Many local and national pilot groups have been working toward decriminalization legislation, with AOPA calling it the […]

On a recent flight home, we were cruising along at 7,000 feet in good weather, except for the occasional encounter with the very top of a cumulus cloud. Knowing my wife is not a fan of any amount of turbulence, I asked ATC for a climb to 9,000. ATC replied, “That’s approved. What’s the reason […]

On the Way to OSH: U.S. Air Force National Museum Thank you, Tom. Like you, I was a young admirer of the B-70. Today as an engineer that admiration has only strengthened. I remember the last (and only) time I saw this magnificent machine in person. Fifteen years ago, I spent two days at the […]

This week, AVweb’s news roundup found reports of a new aerobatics show at Oshkosh, the purchase of four simulators by Kent State University, a facility upgrade for Pro Star Aviation and new authorized dealers for Whelen Engineering aircraft lighting products. With AirVenture 2018 right around the corner, Aero Sport Power has announced that aerobatic performer […]

A government report says a longtime FAA inspector allowed unqualified pilots to fly for the U.S.’s largest airline. The report issued by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Transportation says that the 28-year veteran “seems to have been affected by his relationship with [American Airlines].” The safety concerns—which only involved maintenance […]

The FAA issued a statement on Wednesday warning drone owners to steer clear of people and companies offering to help register their drones with the agency. According to the FAA, it “neither regulates these entities nor will speculate on their legitimacy” and cautions that some of the vendors offering these services have made attempts to […]

AVweb’sGeneral Aviation Accident Bulletinis taken from the pages of our sister publication,Aviation Safetymagazine, and is published twice a month. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause in the NTSB’s website atwww.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after […]