Flight Safety

Heard over Joshua Approach in the southern California Mojave Desert: Approach: “All aircraft on frequency, turn right five degrees.” After a moment’s pause…. Approach: “All aircraft on frequency, return to previous heading. I am now retired. So long” Stephen Hackney

Among the things passengers don’t want to hear over the PA is the pilot asking them to pray but it reportedly happened twice on the shaky return of an AirAsia X A330 to Perth, Australia, early Sunday. Something happened to one of the engines about 75 minutes into the flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur […]

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine 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 web site at www.ntsb.gov. Final […]

Wind and rain were possible factors in the overturning of the Air Force’s Thunderbird two-seater at Dayton International Airport on Friday. The Air Force now says the aircraft departed the runway and flipped over on the grass but does not offer an explanation. Earlier reports suggested a gust of wind was to blame.. “Oftentimes if […]

Every year for the last 39 years, the FAA has conducted a survey to help estimate the level of general aviation activity. Scott Wagner works for TetraTech, the independent research firm that collects the data. “We’re interested in activities for general aviation and Part 135 aircraft,” he told AVweb this week. “We take a sample […]

The House bill to reauthorize the FAA for the 2018 fiscal year—starting Oct. 1—includes ATC privatization, as most general aviation groups had feared. AOPA, EAA, GAMA, NATA, Helicopter Association International and NBAA released a joint statement opposing the bill: “After a thorough and detailed review of Chairman Bill Shuster’s (R-Pa.) proposal to remove our nation’s […]

Air traffic controllers have quite a few options for saying one simple thing: “Turn your airplane.” Each vectoring method, like a hammer or a pair of pliers, is a specialized tool designed to fit a particular situation. As you fly, you may hear a variety of vectoring radio phraseology on a daily basis. Like many […]

“Those who try to lead the people can only do so by following the mob.” – Oscar Wilde I can’t think of a better lead in for the latest round of polling that indicates—surprise—the general public opposes the idea of privatizing air traffic control. The latest run at plumbing public sentiment on this topic was […]

Last month, on a calm day, we were number two for takeoff on 27R in ATL. Delta was holding short number one. Delta: Delta 123 requests wind check. Tower:No answer Delta:Delta 123 requests wind check. Tower:No answer. After a few seconds Delta cleared line up and wait. Delta: Delta 123 wants a wind check Tower(slowly […]

The U.S.’s busiest FAA flight examiner was remembered as a generous, humble man whose love of aviation knew no bounds. Services were held last week at Madison County Executive Airport near Huntsville, Alabama, for Clyde Harold Shelton, who died after a brief illness at the age of 86. He stopped flying last Nov. 30, having […]