Probable Cause

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, Oct. 2005. Many years ago a friend of mine who owned a Chevy Nova wanted to know exactly how far he could go on a tank of gas. So he put a five-gallon can of gas in the trunk and drove until the tank ran dry. I happened […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Sep. 2004. When an aircraft is damaged and subsequently rebuilt, care must be taken not only to ensure that the manufacturer’s instructions are followed but that everything works as it should. Sometimes, in our haste to get an airplane back in the air, we cut corners. We don’t […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, July 2005. Mackinac Island, Mich., is located in the Straits of Mackinac between the state’s Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula. It is a beautiful island that attracts many visitors during the tourist season from April through October. Many of those tourists fly their own aircraft to the island […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Aug 2004. Scud running, the practice of flying underneath a low ceiling, often in poor visibility, has claimed its share of low- and high-time pilots, even those with Instrument ratings. The risks of scud running, while manageable, are definitely higher than flying on a clear summer day and […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, June 2005. Remember the old saying, “Fly the airplane first?” Your flight instructors probably mentioned it to you when you were dividing your attention among several things that were going on in the cockpit at the same time. If you allow your attention be drawn away from monitoring […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, July 2004. Pilots must often deal with a wide range of competing emotions and pressures when faced with less-than-ideal conditions for a planned flight. These can range from doubts about one’s skills and proficiency for the planned flight, to mechanical problems with the aircraft and to adverse weather. […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, March 2005. Though you may possess a valid medical certificate, as an FAA-licensed pilot you are expected to ground yourself whenever you do not meet the standards of that certificate. When a pilot has a bad cold or some other similar ailment, and especially if he or she […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, June 2004. When we’re not accustomed to operating in high-density areas, flying into a busy terminal in a single or light twin can be unnerving. It’s busy airspace, and everyone expects a certain level of proficiency. Planning ahead and refusing to be intimidated into doing something with which […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, March 2005. The ceiling was only 300 feet AGL, which was more than 100 feet below the published minimums for the approach. Visibility was marginal at 2-1/2 miles in mist, but it was a dark winter night and the temperature and dew point had already converged at zero […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, April 2004. While many pilots fly only for recreation, the utility of airplanes is what drives the quest toward aircraft ownership and continued flying for most.But it is also the utility that motivates pilots to make the kinds of errors that lead to tragedy. They push into circumstances […]