Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach, which resulted in a hard landing.
General Aviation
Picture of the Day: Early morning departure
Ian Lellyett submitted this photo and note: “An early morning departure from Sau Pan Botswana.”
Fear of flying: Rational, irrational, or strategic?
It could be argued that it is a sign of having a functional intellect to feel apprehensive about getting airborne. Humans evolved as land animals. We’re most comfortable on a solid surface at ground level. We seek peace and quiet, especially as we age. Aviation is antithetical to our basic human nature.
Where’s Jamail? Southern California
Jamail Larkins has been spreading the gospel of aviation since 2004 with his first DreamLaunch tour. We decided to catch up with him during the 2025 tour to see where’s he at and who he has been talking to.
Women in Aviation reveal Class of 2026
The three women will be honored at the 37th annual Women in Aviation International Conference in Dallas, on March 20, 2026.
Garmin SmartCharts adds Graphical NOTAMs overlay to alert pilots of surface closures
The new Graphical NOTAMs overlay, when selected “On,” will depict active runway, taxiway, and ramp closures, as well as conditional closures. Additionally, current field condition (FICON) codes will appear on the runway label, allowing pilots to see the runway conditions while viewing the airport diagram.
Leaking fuel drain leads to fuel starvation and forced landing
Probable Cause: Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation that was the result of a leaking fuel drain.
Picture of the Day: The Badlands
Jim Thomas submitted this photo and note: “After landing at Spearfish, South Dakota, for the Badlands Fly-In in September 2025, a thunderstorm moved across the grass airplane parking.”
Questions from the Cockpit: Strength is relative
Staci, a student pilot in Arizona, asks: Why are airplanes less strong when it comes to negative Gs than positive Gs? Our “normal” trainers are said to be OK to 3.8 positive but only 1.52 negative. Even aerobatic airplanes, while stronger on both sides of the scale, are still weaker in the negative G area. It would seem to me you’d just build an airplane to be the same strength all the way around. I’m hoping you can tell me why there is a difference in strength between positive and negative.