Aviation Safety

At 0744 Pacific time the airplane collided with an antenna and terrain during takeoff and initial climb. The solo Commercial pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual conditions prevailed for the Part 135 cargo flight. According to preliminary information provided by ATC, the airplane was cleared for takeoff on Runway 21 from intersection Charlie. The airplane failed to gain altitude and struck the glideslope antenna and a fence before coming to rest on a golf course located adjacent to the airport….

At about 2030 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage after impacting terrain during a forced landing following an in-flight loss of engine power from both engines. Night instrument conditions prevailed for the non-revenue positioning flight. The pilot sustained minor injuries and was hospitalized for observation. At 2035, nearby weather included wind from 260 degrees at four knots; visibility three statute miles and an overcast sky at 300 feet….

If you think your airplane has enough back-up systems to make single-component failures a non-event, you could be wrong. Redundant systems often arent.

Attitude is everything, whether discussing the aircraft or its pilot. How to tell if you or someone else has what it takes to be a rogue pilot.

The ultimate expression of freedom in flight requires training, the right equipment and a broader understanding of the operating environment.

Pilots are always finding new ways to screw up an instrument approach. Look out for these five mistakes.

When a turbo fails, its time for some quick thinking and a turn toward the nearest suitable airport. Heres one incident that worked out.

To get results from your weather briefing, you have to make a small investment of your time.

It was a warm summer Saturday, the kind of day thats perfect for putting in some time on the airplane. This would also be a great chance to wash the bird, which had collected some dust from sitting and some bugs from flying. Besides, what could be a better way to cool off than spraying an airplane with someone elses water?

After an hour or so of scrubbing and rubbing, most of the bugs were off and all the dust had been washed away. I wiped down the windows, inside and out, and started securing the airplane and the hose I had used.

Thats when I noticed the chamois cloth I use on my cars to dry them after a wash job. Standing back and looking at the plane, I could see the beaded-up w…

Odds And Ends
Several interesting things have crossed my desk in the last month or so. None of them alone justify taking up all of this space but, together, they comprise a reminder of the responsibilities owners and operators have to keep their aircraft airworthy, both legally and technically, and to conduct safe operations. Theres a lot more I could say about each of these items, but Ill bite my tongue and encourage readers to chime in with comments. Ill consider running them in a future issue.

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Aircraft Registration
On December 1, 2005, the FAA reminded (read: warned) pilots and aircraft owners that it and the Transportation Security Administration…