The year is 1977, Los Rodeos Airport, Tenerife. KLM Flight 4805 (a Boeing 747-206B) initiates takeoff due to a mistake, while Pan Am Flight 1736 (a Boeing 747-121) is still on the runway. They collide. The impact and the resulting fire killed everyone onboard the KLM 747, and the majority Read more…
After decades of learning from accidents and improving aviation safety more and more, there is still a silent threat that poses a significant risk in both the fixed wing and rotary industry: the downwind approach. Downwind approaches continue to be a cause for concern and a subject that demands attention Read more…
Aviation is probably one of the best industries to pick if you’re looking for passionate people. Some people have worked and planned their entire lives around becoming a pilot, and feel extremely grateful for the job they do. Some might even say the gratitude is a bit too much considering Read more…
In many companies across the globe, if something goes wrong, the go-to response is to start finger pointing and finding someone to blame. In aviation though, we sure like to think we’re better than that, but are we really? As the aviation industry has developed over the years, we’ve learnt Read more…
Aviation as a profession demands a lot from all of us. Being a pilot often means crazy financial situations to get qualified, long hours, working outside your normal circadian rhythm, being separated from loved ones, all while being one lingering health problem away from losing your entire career. Doesn’t sound Read more…
Helicopters have a lot of threats to overcome on a daily basis. From tail rotors without redundancy, to all the moving parts and the aerodynamic counter-forces to actually stay in the air. But the biggest threats for air ambulance helicopters (and causes of accidents) aren’t actually mechanical issues, but more Read more…
We’ve seen waves of proposals and research in the last few years regarding single pilot operations in the commercial airline environment. Companies are constantly looking for ways to cut costs, but at what point will safety have to make way for efficiency? Today we’ll be looking at the arguments and Read more…
Today’s article is slightly different compared to the usual Pilots Who Ask Why content here. I get a lot of questions on how I got where I am in my career, what the process looked like for me, and where others who are looking to do the same could start. Read more…
If you’re a pilot, you have probably been bombarded with the rule of thumb that roughly 70% of aviation accidents are caused by Human Factors, not technical malfunctions. We constantly get reminded of this, whether in the classroom, during safety meetings, or in accident reports. The Dirty Dozen of Human Read more…
Sleep is something none of us can escape from. For some it’s amazing, for others it’s annoying. Pilots, like many other people in other professions, often have to deal with staying awake while everyone else is dreaming away. Lots of recent research is revealing more and more about the effects Read more…