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.

Flankers Grounded After Crash

The Russian air force has grounded its fleet of Su-27 fighters after an aircraft belonging to its Russian Knights air demonstration team crashed near Moscow on Thursday. Flankers make up about half of the fighter force. The crash occurred as the aircraft was returning to its base and wasn’t related to an airshow. The air […]

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Pilot Psych Testing Unnecessary Says FAA

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said Thursday that U.S. airline pilots will not have to undergo psychological testing, at least not in any formal way. At a news conference Huerta said aviation medical examiners have been given extra training to spot potential mental health issues in pilots but there will be no structured testing program. Huerta […]

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Cirrus Crashes Into Parking Lot, Three Dead

A Cirrus SR20 crashed Thursday near Hobby Airport in Texas, killing all three on board. The aircraft was on a third attempt to land at Hobby when it crashed into a car in the parking lot of a hardware store about 1:12 p.m., according to ABC13 in Houston. The Cirrus was high on its first […]

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Swiss Air Force Pilot Ejects After Formation Midair

A pilot on a Swiss Air Force aerobatic team ejected from his jet after an apparent midair collision Thursday. News outlets including swissinfo posted Twitter photos of an F-5 with a piece of its tail breaking off. That jet landed safely at the local air force base. The aircraft from which the pilot ejected crashed […]

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NTSB: Pilot Error Caused 2014 Phenom Crash

The pilot of an Embraer Phenom failed to turn on crucial de-icing equipment during an approach to the airport in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on December 8, 2014, causing a deadly crash, the NTSB said in its probable-cause hearing today. All three people on the jet and three on the ground were killed. “Pilots must rely on […]

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Flying a Perfect Approach

As with most things in life, a successful flight is all about preparation; unfortunately, the longer we fly the more complacent we tend to get. We can handle any situation that arises—we can ‘wing it’ when we have to. However, to fly the perfect approach you have to prepare for it. Reviewing the approaches that […]

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Drone Avoidance: More Than Flying High

Without nearly enough fanfare, some excellent guidance on a subject that is becoming increasingly critical for pilots was released two weeks ago. Entitled Flight Safety in the Drone Age(FSDA), it is a three-page document that should be read and digested by every pilot. While the FAA has enacted regulations concerning drone operations and the respected […]

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Short Final

This dates back many years, to March 1989. I was transporting a heart for transplant, together with a doctor and nurse, from the southwest of England to Papworth Hospital near Cambridge. Because it was the middle of the night, the only open runway nearby was a USAF Alconbury. As I approached, I was asked a […]

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GPS Interference Notam For Southwest

A Notam (PDF) is warning operators of “all aircraft relying on GPS” of widespread GPS outages starting Tuesday throughout the Southwest and especially southern California. Although the FAA doesn’t go into detail, it seems the military is testing something that can disrupt GPS over a huge area, centered on China Lake, California, home of the […]

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Post-Flight Debrief

Pull the mixture or condition lever and the propeller comes to a stop. Turn off the switches and what had been saturated with noise and vibration becomes still and quiet. After removing your headset and while sitting in the momentary silence that follows a flight, perhaps you’ll hear the engine ticking as heat dissipates. It’s […]

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