After the Accident

NTSB reports too-fast entry into a power-on aerobatic maneuver probable cause of Van’s RV-7A fatal accident.

Pilots have a saying that ‘airspeed is life’—and so is remembering to reduce it when needed.

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY…Cessna 9 [unintelligible].” Another pilot on the frequency replied: “14A, how far north of the shoreline are you?” “Right in the middle. I’m out here by…there…there’s a boat going by… there’s a tanker getting drug. I am out in the middle, and I’m going down now. I’m going in the water.” It was […]

At 3 p.m. on August 4, 2021, a beautiful bright yellow T-6 took off from McCharen Field Airport (M83) in West Point, Mississippi. The sky was blue, with no clouds or obscurations to visibility. It was 88 degrees, with a light wind out of the north. It was a perfect day for a VFR pleasure […]

What kind of problems do you try to resolve while airborne?

Why did a former Las Vegas air traffic controller fly a perfectly good airplane into the side of a mountain?

The pilot of a PA-32 emerged from the clouds on an instrument approach. That’s when it all went wrong.

A hasty turnaround sealed the pilot’s fate.

Each incident was preventable.

The pilot missed warning signs and chances to save his own life.