What can we learn from a sightseeing flight that proved fatal for a young pilot and his girlfriend’s brother?
Questions from the Cockpit: Ercoupe claustrophobia
My friend Tom called the other night and startled me with a question: “Hey, have you ever heard of anyone having an attack of claustrophobia in an Ercoupe?”
Human Factors: A tragic celebration
A flight to celebrate a dad earning his private pilot certificate ends tragically. What can we learn from it?
Human Factors: Hidden wear and tear
When a pilot crashes his new plane on the same day he bought it, NTSB investigators discovered the smoking gun for the accident was a part that pilots can’t see during a preflight.
Questions from the Cockpit: When ATC goes dark
David, an airplane owner in Iowa, writes: Given the recent reported radio outage at Newark, I’m sure we could all use a refresher and perspective on lost comms. It’s one thing to have an on-board failure, but seems much different if ATC goes down, especially in busy airspace. It would be great to hear and learn about scenarios that appear more likely than we thought.
Questions from the Cockpit: O2 4 U
Sam, a private pilot in Montana, writes: How do I know how long a supplemental oxygen bottle will last in flight? Or, more correctly, how do I know it has enough for my flight before I takeoff?
Human Factors: Dumping fuel
The two shattered links of the accident chain were not adjacent, as they so often are. The first came during an otherwise diligent preflight. The second was a skipped memory item from the emergency checklist that, otherwise, would have saved the day.
Questions from the Cockpit: Got you covered — maybe
James, a private pilot and airplane owner in South Carolina, writes: What happens if someone wrecks your plane while they are considering buying it?
Human Factors: Certified, not qualified
As it becomes harder to find a CFI, pilots may find they are waiting quite a while for flight training. But a long wait is much better than watching a brand-new airplane broken to pieces right in front of your eyes before you’ve even made the first payment.