Flight Safety

Humans are really good at rationalizing. We do it all the time, every time when we cut corners, break rules or ignore evidence in pursuit of a successful outcome. We continue because it often has no consequences. The thing about rationalizing, though, is it can change our behavior. What once seemed wrong starts to feel […]

The pilot of an amateur-built helicopter involved in a fatal crash didn’t have a helicopter license but that’s not what killed him according to Canada’s Transportation Safety Board. In a final report issued this week, the agency said a rotor blade delaminated when the RotorWay Exec helicopter was less than 150 feet above the ground […]

As new aircraft and avionics become more sophisticated and capable, a pilot’s learning curve becomes more complicated. Understanding how and why things work the way they do is a critical part of our training and study. Brian Sagi’s article for Aviation Safety, “Automation Misbehavior,” explores some of the ramifications and remedial actions pilots should know […]

ATP Flight School has signed an agreement with Textron Aviation to add 40 Cessna 172 Skyhawks to its fleet. The aircraft, which will be used for the school’s Airline Career Pilot Program, are slated for delivery in 2025. The purchase agreement follows an order for 55 172s placed by ATP in October 2022. “With 95 […]

The FAA is seeking comments from the public on the environmental assessment associated with replacing 31 aging air traffic control towers across the U.S. Intended to “replace towers functioning beyond their intended design life,” the new facilities will include features such as all-electric building systems, materials and products free from chemicals known to pose health […]

There were no injuries when a Delta Boeing 717 crew put the aircraft down in Charlotte with the nosegear retracted. Flight 1092 was on final after a flight from Atlanta when the crew got a nosegear light. They flew a couple of inspection flights over the tower and learned the front gear doors were open […]

On a warm summer afternoon, a two-ship flight consisting of a Beech A-36 Bonanza and a Piper PA-31 Navajo lifted off from Newport, Rhode Island. One made it through a looming storm; one didn’t. Short Trip The two airplanes made a gradual right turn to the southwest out over the grayish-blue waters of Rhode Island […]

AVweb’s General Aviation Accident Bulletin is taken from the pages of our sister publication, Aviation Safety magazine. All the reports listed here are preliminary and include only initial factual findings about crashes. You can learn more about the final probable cause on the NTSB’s website at www.ntsb.gov. Final reports appear about a year after the […]

For the second time in six months, an airline ramp worker has been ingested by a jet engine. The FAA has confirmed the Delta Air Lines worker was killed at the San Antonio Airport late Friday. “An airport ramp worker was involved in an accident in the gate area at San Antonio International Airport around 10:30 […]

All air traffic controllers will attend monthly retraining sessions in response to a spate of potentially serious runway incidents that occurred in the winter and early spring. The FAA announced the Stand Up For Safety program on Wednesday and said it was developed in conjunction with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). “To reach […]