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.

Alleged Knowledge Test Issues Prompt Flight Training Protest

Flight training organizations along with EAA and AOPA are urging the FAA to take a hard look at the availability and effectiveness of aviation knowledge tests. In 2018, the agency awarded an exclusive contract to PSI to administer the gamut of written tests. On Jan. 1, 2023, the company cut the fee it paid to […]

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Senate Committee Interviews Nolen On FAA Safety, Certification Reform

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing on Wednesday to look into the FAA’s progress on implementing reforms mandated by the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act of 2020 (ACSAA). Stemming from the fatal crashes of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight 610, both Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, ACSAA […]

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Cruz Pushes Nolen For FAA Administrator

Sen. Ted Cruz says Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen would be a slam dunk to take the permanent appointment if the Biden administration nominated him. Cruz, ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which is reviewing the nomination of Phil Washington to the post, has stridently opposed the appointment, citing Washington’s relative lack of aviation […]

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The Severe Storm

Strong thunderstorms are one of the places aviation and fear often intersect. And for good reason: severe storms have led to countless disasters, perhaps the most famous one being the Delta L-1011 crash at DFW Airport in 1985. That tragedy brought far-reaching consequences to flight training programs and ATC equipment, and led to advances in […]

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Accident Probe: Ice Isn’t Nice

Airframe icing can be found year-round, depending on geography and altitude. In North America, it’s the season when pilots of personal airplanes, which generally don’t fly high enough to worry about ice most of the year, need to factor it into their planning and execution. Even if you’re flying something with a form of ice […]

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AOPA High School STEM Program Earns FAA Grant

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) announced on Monday that it has received a grant from the FAA for its You Can Fly High School initiative. The $498,000 grant will be used to train additional educators on the program’s free high school science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum, which offers an aviation-oriented course […]

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Fatality Reported In Turbulence Incident

CBS News Analyst Robert Sumwalt is reporting that one person died on a Bombardier Challenger 300 that encountered severe turbulence and diverted to Bradley Field in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, on Friday. Sumwalt, who was head of the NTSB before joining the network as its Transportation Safety Analyst, said the aircraft is registered to a Kansas […]

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FAA IACRA System Hit With Database Issues

The FAA’s Integrated Airman Certification and/or Rating Application (IACRA) system experienced several database issues on Monday, Feb. 27, resulting in a system restore and the loss of some user data, according to a notice issued by the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) on Thursday. The notice stated that the problem may have affected actions completed in […]

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FAA Nominee Quizzed On Aviation Knowledge

President Joe Biden’s pick for FAA Administrator Phil Washington faced a turbulent Senate confirmation hearing that included a Q and A from fellow non-pilot and staunch opponent of his confirmation Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. In what seemed to be an attempt to expose Washington’s lack of relevant experience for the job, Cruz asked Washington about […]

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