I was climbing on top of the fog, looked down at my instruments, and when I looked up…
When problems turn up in your airplane, you need to be concerned -- whether the problem is large…
Did your instructor ever pull the power on the upwind leg and then say: "OK, your engine just…
The air was absolutely still save for the far-off putter of an O-320 Lycoming at low power. A…
Last week, we reviewed four of the eight "high risk situations" that lead to almost all lightplane accidents…
Last week we defined a Danger Zone: A pilot who has between 50 and 350 flight hours is…
Accident statistics indicate that pilots with the least experience have the most accidents -- but are there ways…
It's that time of year again -- know what the dangers are, know your defenses...
Some things to keep in mind while we watch the Hurricanes sweep through the Gulf for destinations unknown…
Next to being on fire or having an engine failure, experiencing an electrical (or vacuum) failure in IMC…
When an unauthorized airplane interrupts a Space Shuttle launch the results can be dangerous and expensive -- both…
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls it that -- they even publish an Accident Prevention Program Bulletin by…
Excluding certain personalities, AvGas is the most explosive part of your piston-powered airplane. For the energy that AvGas…
I faced aeronautical temptation this weekend... a lot of temptation.
Whenever we fly, we become an integral part of a human-machine system -- we're also the least consistent…
There is a saying about old pilots and bold pilots, which ends with the statement that there are…
When a pilot falls ill (or worse) at the controls of an airplane, it sometimes leaves a frantic…
A recent television documentary discussed the “crisis” in general aviation safety. “600 people die every year in little…
When the engine stops, some numbers are more important than others -- but so are some actions. As…
You would think that our goal-oriented, law-abiding, type-A personalities would more often lose a battle with weather rather…
On Monday July 1, two large commercial jets -- both flying IFR under ATC control, and both equipped…
In the furor of the Post September 11th attacks, a subject seems to come up again and again…
Terrorists struck at the heart of America with acts against civilian targets...
Stomp hard on the rudder to control the yaw; force the pitch to stay slightly above the horizon,…
Whether scare tactic or sales pitch... or maybe an altruistic safety warning sent to every instrument-rated pilot in…
There's little else quite as ingrained in the minds of pilots, or emblematic of flight itself, as the…
In my years as a pilot, I’ve had some bad days. I’ve been socked in, hundreds of miles…
THUNK! As you rotate and lift off, you hear a healthy noise from the top of the plane,…
If you experience the full or partial loss of your two-way radio communications, you can still land at…
What is the best thing to do if your engine quits while climbing out after takeoff?
If the engine quits, flying the airplane at a speed greater than stall speed is the number one…
Problem: The Federal Aviation Regulations cover two-way communication failure quite nicely, but a total electrical failure can give…
Spin accidents don't happen every day, but when they take place they are almost always deadly.
Imagine helplessly watching as your airplane wrenches itself (and you with it) into an unusual attitude, rolls over…
When problems arise in the cockpit there are many levels of concern and, when asking for assistance, your…
They say every accident is the result of an unlikely chain of events: On a Friday afternoon, a…
Partial panel flying isn't hard, but it does take practice -- frequent practice -- and there are a…
Engine failure is rare (and usually the result of poor fuel management), but if you ever find yourself…
Instrument pilots routinely bet their lives on the gauges and even VFR pilots depend on the instruments at…
Getting too close to an obstruction can make for a really bad day.
In recent months, there have been numerous cases of the control wheels breaking off of the control column,…
From 1983 to 2000 there were 230 fatal takeoff accidents among pilots within their first 1,000 hours of…
Granted, your plane’s no Concorde or SUV, but a bad set of tires will make every effort to…
To an aircraft -- and whatever is inside of it -- fire is a fast-acting cancer.
If you ever encounter fire in the cockpit, rapid and immediately action is required to save your life.
Whether you use a pressure or vacuum system, the loss of your pneumatic system in IFR conditions can…
On November 26, 1999, about 1053 Eastern Standard Time, a Beechcraft S35, N8992M, was destroyed when it impacted…
Life has a way of throwing problems at you when you least expect them, and having an engine…