Dubious Report in Aircraft Crash Again

The public has a fascination with aircraft crashes. I understand why commercial airline crashes attract attention, but have no theory as to why many other aircraft crashes get the publicity they do.

As someone working in the aviation industry I am interested in crashes from the analytical/investigative side. It’s useful to note the chain of events that is always present leading up to an aircraft/aviation accident(s) in order to prevent future incidents. Over time this approach has obviously enhanced aviation safety.

The latest crash to make the headlines was a Cessna Citation I crash in England that occurred on Sunday in which five died. The accident itself wasn’t that notable or odd, but I immediately noted the following in the …

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Hero Pilot or Simply Lucky?

After a video of a Lufthansa Airbus 320 jet attempting a crosswind landing at Hamburg, Germany on March 1st was posted online the story made a lot of headlines. Some news reported the pilot was a “hero” while others were quite a bit less complementary.

This picture appears to even show the left wing striking the runway during the landing attempt.

Lufthansa Wingtip Drag

In the U.S. FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 91.3 states that: ” (a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft.” In other words, ultimately the pilot in command is responsible for the safe operation of an aircraft. I’m assuming the Germans/Europeans have a …

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