What can we learn from an accident that happened while taking kids up for their first flights by a pilot who didn’t have full knowledge of the airplane’s systems and a mechanic who missed a clogged fuel line?
Human Factors
An Everyday “Oops” Destroys a Mooney
What can we learn from a pilot who experienced a fire from a battery in his portable ADS-B unit?
Human Factors: When Over and Above Isn’t Enough
A March 2024 accident where the engine failed “without warning” raises the question of whether an “old school” technique might be able to catch problems newer tools miss.
Human Factors: A case of mistaken identity
What lessons can we learn from a pilot who crashes while landing at the wrong airport?
Human Factors: Safety in numbers?
The big takeaway from this accident is clearly that flying as a crew requires good communication and a clear discussion of who is responsible for each aspect of the flight. If we really want to take a page from airline crew resource management, duties should be divided up, rather than duplicated.
Human Factors: It’s not really a checklist
When something unexpected happens in flight we’ve all been taught to Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. But pilots need to realize that’s not a checklist, but a cycle to be repeated over and over again until the situation is resolved.