Weather

The following is an excerpt from official NTSB summaries of general aviation accidents in the United States. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report. Piper PA-32 Cuba, Missouri/Injuries: 1 […]

The Perlan 2 atmospheric glider departed the U.S. this week, on a container ship no less, headed to El Calafate, Argentina, following six months of intensive flight testing in Minden, Nevada. Once it arrives in the Andes region, the aircraft will be reassembled to begin its high-altitude climate research mission. Lacking an engine that could […]

The U.S. Weather Service’s Aviation Weather Center (AWC) is experimenting with a new color-coded system to instantly identify the impact of weather through its terminal area forecasts (TAF). The AWC believes the new system will not only improve operational decision-making but also significantly improve situational awareness for any operational system player. The experimental system will […]

The Farnborough Airshow was evacuated Monday after heavy rain led to flooding at the airshow site. “Due to the heavy rain, unfortunately we have cancelled today’s flying display and closed the show early,” organizers announced via Twitter. “Safety remains our key priority.” Attracting top airline and aviation executives, the show is the world’s top venue […]

A plane flown by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe ran off the runway after making a forced landing Sunday night in Ketchum, Oklahoma. The 81-year-old Oklahoma senator, who walked away from the incident unharmed, reportedly made the unscheduled landing in his aerobatic Harmon Rocket taildragger after encountering severe weather. Inhofe was flying in tandem with another […]

Most pilots will tell you nothing quite beats the operational advantage of a set of eyeballs that are right up close and personal with aviation weather as it happens, especially when some region of the country is experiencing engaging phenomenon like convective or freezing conditions. For decades, a single pilot calling back to FSS or […]

The pilot, 65, had 33,000 hours. He had retired six years earlier as a 777 captain after a 36-year career in airline flying. He was a CFI-I and ATP 
with ratings in a slew of Boeing and Lockheed types, and was an air-frame and power-plant mechanic to boot. He and some family members had flown […]

The pilot of an Embraer Phenom 100 failed to turn on either the jet’s engine anti-ice or structural de-ice system during the last 15 minutes of a December 8, 2014, instrument approach despite flying in known icing conditions. The pilot also selected an approach airspeed that was too slow for flight in ice, according to […]

In spite of our best efforts, the weather is still a problem. Though we have better access to weather-focused graphics, both through aviation sources as well as those for the general public, confusion reigns when it comes to interpreting that data and displaying that knowledge on a check ride. In other words, everyone knows about […]

Severe weather proved hazardous Tuesday in Vero Beach, Florida, home of Piper Aircraft and FlightSafety Academy. Strong winds flipped a single-engine airplane at nearby Treasure Coast International Airport, and the city recorded a record rainfall of 11.22 inches, causing massive flooding and damage to homes and other property. The previous rainfall record was 8.82 inches, […]