Flying in a Thunderstorm

Pilots get a pass for confessing to the Aviation Safety Reporting System, while the private sector (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University), not the U.S. government, maintains one of the largest online repositories of NTSB accident documents. Theres no shortage of lessons to be learned and a great culture of diffusing this hard-won wisdom. So, lets delve into a few randomly selected NTSB accident reports, supplemented by any available press stories.

Tim Vasquez

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Strictly adhere to the "avoid thunderstorms by 20 nautical miles" rule, as even seemingly weak or "garden-variety" storms can lead to fatal accidents.
Be aware that dangers extend beyond direct storm entry, with outflow boundaries, gust fronts, and microscale circulations presenting significant, often unseen, risks like severe wind shear and turbulence.
Even highly experienced pilots with proper briefings can be caught off guard by rapidly changing weather, lack of aircraft familiarity, or the pressure of "get-there-itis," underscoring the need for conservative decision-making when storms are present.

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There’s an ancient quote that says “wise men learn from their mistakes, but wiser men learn from the mistakes of others.” There is probably no industry or profession where this is more true than in American aviation.

Pilots get a pass for confessing to the Aviation Safety Reporting System, while the private sector (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University), not the U.S. government, maintains one of the largest online repositories of NTSB accident documents. There’s no shortage of lessons to be learned and a great culture of diffusing this hard-won wisdom.