I Learned About Flying From That: Engine Failure With an "Eye in the Sky"

I Learned About Flying From That: Engine Failure With an “Eye in the Sky”

Keith Connes

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 03:16 AM ET

Verified

Illustrated by Barry Ross

Key Takeaways:

An aviation journalist's observation flight resulted in an engine failure due to lack of fuel after a rushed and inadequate pre-flight inspection, which the journalist reluctantly participated in.
The pilot-in-command exhibited several safety violations, including faking initial reports and admitting to the FAA that she flew with known inoperative fuel gauges, leading to a forced landing.
The incident led to the pilot's job termination and license suspension, serving as a cautionary tale about the critical importance of thorough pre-flight procedures and not allowing authority to override common sense in aviation safety.

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This engine failure did not occur in my airplane, and I wasn’t the pilot. Nevertheless, I was personally and embarrassingly involved in the process that led to the incident.

It all started when I, as an aviation journalist, embarked on a series titled “Careers in Aviation” and arranged to write about a day in the life of an air traffic reporter — you know, one of those eye-in-the-sky folks who describe how traffic is moving, or, in the case of the Los Angeles area, not moving.