A pilot low on fuel passes up three airports to save 20 cents a gallon on avgas. It turns out to be an expensive mistake.
Human Factors
Seven accidents in seven days
Did you hear the story of the pilot who crashed seven times in seven days? How does something like this even happen — and what lessons can we learn from this experience?
Human Factors: Written vs. unwritten rules
Who has the right-of-way when several planes are approaching a runway. And should you give priority to another pilot just because they ask for it?
Human Factors: A distant fallout
After a two-year investigation by the NTSB, investigators still don’t really know what caused a July 2021 crash in Alaska that killed two pilots. Still, is there anything we can learn from this crash?
Human Factors: Not your average VFR into IMC
A mother and son die in a tragic accident caused by VFR into IMC. The NTSB investigation reveal he’s a student pilot facing pressure to complete the flight to see his father in the hospital. What can we learn from this accident?
Human Factors: No gentleman
In a strange case of life imitating art, an Oregon pilot crashes into the ocean after learning he has Stage 4 cancer. Can we learn anything from this crash?
Human Factors: Batten down the hatches…and all the other stuff too
This accident is a good reminder that while loose lips sink ships, it’s loose items in the cockpit that can wreak havoc with flight controls.
Human Factors: Say it out loud
In his report on the gear-up accident to the NTSB, the pilot said that he was alone in the airplane and “I did not state my GUMPS checks out loud,” adding that he normally “religiously” says a minimum of two out loud and sometimes three.
Human Factors: The wind at your back is for sailors
What can we learn from an accident that occurred when a pilot was landing at the airport in Spruce Pine, N.C. There are several takeaways, from plan bias to tailwinds to understanding how the slope of a runway affects an airplane’s performance.