Aviation Safety

At 1325 Mountain time the airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain. Visual conditions prevailed for the aerobatic performance flight. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. According to several witnesses, the pilot was exiting a loop, in a westerly direction, close to the ground. As the airplane descended and completed the loop, the wings began to shake back and forth. One witness reported that it appeared as if the airplane was rocking. The airplane impacted the…

When the chips are down, you only get one shot at handling an in-flight emergency.

Making the go/no-go decision can demand more experience than the low-time pilot has. Decide when to call it a day or to take a look, but with a solid alternative.

Constantly evaluating our progress means more than glancing at the moving map. We also need to expect the unexpected and be prepared to change our plans.

NASAs safety reporting program offers more than potential amnesty from an enforcement action. Instead, it helps operators and the FAA understand mistakes and learn from them.

Order any three back issues of Aviation Safety and get the fourth one free! Here are the issues that are still available:

I am actively involved in an organization offering introductory flights to youngsters. I have flown about 75 kids over the last few years, and enjoy seeing their thrill and excitement of flight. However, I had a situation happen recently that had me learning lessons from start to finish.For the first flight of the morning this day, I had one boy in the copilots seat and another behind him. The boy in the copilots seat was rather…

It was a nice day for flying, even though a cold front was blowing in from the west and spawning a few showers along my route. I was level at 8000 feet, on an IFR flight plan, and about halfway into a planned 90-minute flight to my family home in Georgia.

Beech A36Incorrect Starter AdapterA repair station mechanic states, “This aircraft came to our shop with smoke and oil coming out of the tailpipe. Four hours prior an annual inspection was completed and at that time the starter adapter was replaced with the wrong part.This aircraft had been modified with a Tornado Alley Turbo Charger system. The STC requires the starter adaptor assembly be changed to p/n 642087A63, which includes an oil scavenge pump; p/n 652087A64…

take exception with the statement made in the sidebar “Oil-Changing Tips” in Octobers article, “Is Oil Analysis Worth It?” You state, “If you are the owner, changing your own aircraft oil and filter is completely legal with the FAA.” Not so!The authorization for this action is in FAR 43.3(g), which states: “The holder of a pilot certificate issued under Part 61 may perform preventative maintenance on any aircraft owned or operated by that pilot which…