Who should have been blamed for that 737 debacle? The cover story in the New York Times Magazine on September 22, 2018 was entitled, “What Really Brought Down the Boeing 737 MAX?” The writer, William Langewiesche, son of the sainted author of Stick and Rudder, is an experienced pilot andRead More →
FAR TOO CASUAL This discussion is to promote safety and not to establish liability. The CAA’s report contains padding and repetition, so in the interest of clarity, I have paraphrased extensively. Aircraft registration: ZS-LVC Date of accident: 8 April 2004 Time of accident 0730Z Type of aircraft: Read More →
Peter Garrison There may still be something to say about it. A few years ago, a sightseeing flight crashed in the Swiss Alps, killing all 20 aboard. The Junkers Ju-52 was attempting to cross a 10,000-foot saddle from south to north. The wind was out of the north, gusting toRead More →
The V-tail Bonanza is an excellent aircraft that developed a completely unjustified reputation as a ‘Doctor Killer’. The only aircraft that came near to earning the same reputation was the Piper Malibu/Mirage series. As the former owner of a vintage G35 model V-tail Bonanza, ZS-DOB, I always pay attention whenRead More →
Jean-Claude was in the left seat. He was senior to me, but I was flying. We were near the Equator, where Mermoz and Guillaumet – salut, old comrades! – had once flown. But they, poor fellows, had not been at 35,000 feet! We entered the clouds at what looked likeRead More →
Jim Davis This discussion is to promote safety and not to establish liability. CAA’s report contains padding and repetition so, in the interest of clarity, I have paraphrased extensively. Date and Time of Accident: 15 September 2013 1030Z Aircraft Registration: ZS-DWJ Type of Aircraft: Piper Cherokee 235Read More →
Twin Training Troubles – Twice This discussion is to promote safety and not to establish liability. CAA’s report contains padding and repetition, so in the interest of clarity, I have paraphrased extensively. Aircraft registration: ZS-FET Aircraft owner Cape Aero Club Date and time of accident: 25 April 2006; 1200ZRead More →
Pilots seem to be finding new ways to kill themselves. In the bad old days, the Christmas holidays always featured a couple of fatal accidents where pilots, usually flying from the Highveld, pushed their luck with the weather over the escarpment and ended up smeared across implacable rocks. These areRead More →
The SACAA reckons that there is a fatal plane crash every 107 hours. Yup – that’s what the CAA’s DAMES guide – for aviation medicals says: (Explainer – I guess the 7 in 107 is ‘to the power of’ but the writer/proofreader failed math’s literacy).Read More →
Bonanza Wheels-up While Training This discussion is to promote safety and not to establish liability. CAA’s report contains padding and repetition, so in the interest of clarity, I have paraphrased extensively. Date and time 20 January 2017 at about 1447Z Aircraft registration ZS-JBE Aircraft model Beechcraft BonanzaRead More →
