Aviation Safety

In your September 2022 issue, in response to Scott Burkhart’s email, you unnecessarily scare him by stating that VNE is a true airspeed (for his Mooney). In fact, for him, and the vast majority of people who fly certified planes, VNE is an indicated airspeed that is safe to fly (flutter-wise) up to the aircraft’s […]

One summer long ago and far away, I worked as a line boy at the local airport. The job isn’t called that anymore, but it involved fueling based and transient aircraft. We had two installed pumps dispensing avgas and two trucks. One truck pumped both blue gas (100/130 octane, $0.49 a gallon) and red gas […]

I just want to correct something in your “IFR Rules, VFR Tools” article (August 2022). On page 10 in the blue box, it says, “Of course, you must fly no lower than the published MEA or MOCA.” Actually, one of the advantages of VFR on top is to be able to fly lower than the MEA […]

I will never forget my first time in true IMC. It was about halfway through my instrument training, during the winter months of New England. There were always challenges getting actual IMC experience; most of the quality clouds contained icing that prohibited any safe training. Finally, it was a warm day with the freezing levels up […]

Ludwig Wittgenstein was among the most difficult and abstract of philosophers. But that’s not how he started out. Wittgenstein was an early pioneer in aeronautical engineering. He published a treatise on propellers in 1911, just eight years after the Wright Brothers first flew at Kitty Hawk. He went to England to learn more about aerodynamics, […]

The FAA defines a slip as a condition in which the airplane’s bank angle is “too steep for the existing rate of turn.” In other words, the airplane is not in coordinated flight, which in fact could be the pilot’s desire. For example, slipping is a time-honored way to lose altitude quickly in an airplane […]

When one pores over the number of accident reports I have over the years, a few things stand out. One is there are a lot of engine failures resulting in the NTSB’s definition of an accident. Another is that post-accident investigation frequently fails to identify a reason for the failure; the engine runs fine when […]

August 1, 2022, Wauchula, Fla. Beech 35 Bonanza At about 1100 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged when its landing gear collapsed following emergency extension after an electrical failure. The pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The pilot later reported the airplane experienced a total loss of electrical power while in […]

It already had been a long day, flogging my Piper Arrow across what felt like half the U.S. I was aiming for a sizable regional airport to spend some vacation time with an old friend, which was turning into a two-leg, seven-hour slog into headwinds. The weather mostly had been clear, but an undercast crept […]

Cessna U206E Stationair Broken Fuel Selector Shaft The fuel selector shaft’s top u-joint (p/n 1216608200) was twisted and a tab broke as the pilot was selecting different tank going through the off position, due to stiff fuel selector valve caused by ice buildup on valve. Part total time: Unknown Cessna 310K Cracked Landing Gear Shafts […]