A Routine Night Flight in Unforgiving Conditions On February 24, 2023, a Guardian Flight Pilatus PC-12 lifted off from Reno-Tahoe International Airport just after 9
Setting the Scene On April 26, 2023, a seemingly routine personal flight from Leesburg, Florida to Winder, Georgia ended in tragedy. A Cessna 177B, tail
The Morning Departure It was an early summer morning on June 2, 2023, when a 69-year-old private pilot prepared his bright red Van’s Aircraft RV-7,
A beautiful morning over Montana turned tense in an instant for one experienced pilot when his newly purchased twin-engine Cessna P337H suffered a partial engine
On a clear June afternoon in 2024, a twin-engine Cessna 421C was soaring westward over the Colorado Rockies. Its destination: Ogden-Hinckley Airport in Utah. But
It was supposed to be a solemn and memorable tribute. A flight over Wyoming’s Shoshone National Forest to honor a departed loved one, ashes to
The Charter That Shouldn’t Have Flown On a chilly February evening in 2024, a routine on-demand charter flight turned fatal over the desolate terrain of
A Clear Day for Flying It was a bright September afternoon in the desert skies over Borrego Springs, California. A sleek, single-seat aerobatic airplane, tail
On a warm September afternoon in Tennessee, a pilot’s passion for flight and precision led him into the skies over the Cumberland River. What began
Departure with a Routine Rhythm It was a routine cargo run over the vast Alaskan expanse—just another flight for a young but qualified commercial pilot
A Familiar Plane, an Unfamiliar Night It started as a laid-back Saturday plan. The 38-year-old private pilot, who had just completed a flight review two
On a sunny August morning in 2022, the skies over Bealeton, Virginia, were alive with the hum of vintage aircraft. It was a day like
A Thanksgiving Journey Turns Tragic On the Saturday after Thanksgiving 2023, a family of three departed Las Cruces, New Mexico, for what was supposed to
Into the Valley: How a Circling Approach Claimed Two Lives Anh was 33, and flying had become her passion. She started out as a flight
A Night Flight with a Seasoned Hand On the night of April 6, 2015, a Cessna 414A Chancellor took off from Indianapolis, Indiana, en route
A Bright Morning in Pedro BayJuly 20, 2024, started like many serene mornings in the remote expanses of Alaska. The DeHavilland Beaver U-6A, a rugged
A Sea World helicopter with five passengers onboard was just moments from landing on the Gold Coast when something didn’t feel right. One of the
A Mission Over the Lakes On a warm June day in 2008, a Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub lifted off from Placid Lakes Airport in Florida.
An Antique with Attitude The Stearman B75N1 isn’t just any old airplane—it’s a warbird, a trainer from a bygone era. Built in 1942, this model
On a calm August morning in the skies over Manhattan, Montana, what started as a routine instructional flight in a classic taildragger quickly turned into
On a clear autumn evening in October 2023, a highly experienced pilot lifted off from a small California airstrip with a single passenger onboard. What
On a warm July afternoon in 2024, what was supposed to be a routine instructional cross-country flight turned into a tragic and mystifying accident near
When flying into mountainous terrain, the skies can look deceptively calm. But as this tragic accident over Big Bear, California, reminds us, the real danger
A Routine Cargo Run Turns Tragic In the quiet pre-dawn hours of October 5, 2021, a Dassault Falcon 20 jet, operating as Pak West Airlines
I’ve sometimes heard the saying that “fuel is cheap—crashes are not.” Unfortunately, that wisdom played out the hard way on a quiet spring day in
On a foggy March night in Port O’Connor, Texas, a private helicopter lifted off from a road near its owner’s home. Minutes later, it lay
A New Year’s Eve Journey Turns Fatal On the last day of 2016, a 34-year-old commercial pilot departed Pella Municipal Airport in Iowa, bound for
On a crisp afternoon in April 2023, a seemingly routine cross-country flight turned into a harrowing brush with disaster for a 43-year-old private pilot flying
A Beautiful Day, a Short Hop, and an Unseen Threat It was a warm afternoon on May 31, 2023, when a privately owned Searey amphibious
On a clear fall morning in Ocala, Florida, two pilots climbed into a nearly new Tecnam P2010, ready for a routine instructional flight. The skies
For pilots flying into small, remote airstrips, decisions often have to be made quickly—and with margin for error already thin, waiting just a bit too
A highly experienced helicopter pilot, a well-equipped Bell 407, and a seemingly straightforward repositioning flight—all of it unraveled in under 90 seconds after takeoff. This
Sometimes in aviation, it’s not about one big mistake—it’s a series of small ones, stacked just right, that bring an aircraft to its knees. That
On a breezy February afternoon in Llano, Texas, a routine instructional flight turned into a cautionary tale about tailwheel aircraft and the critical importance of
A Routine Flight Turns Catastrophic On January 15, 2023, Yeti Airlines Flight 691, an ATR 72-212A (registration 9N-ANC), was operating a scheduled domestic flight from
A high-performance, experimental Lancair Evolution aircraft took off from Phoenix Deer Valley Airport on July 17, 2017, on what was supposed to be a routine
A Ferry Flight Ends in Tragedy On January 27, 2018, a Cessna 172F (N8559U) on a ferry flight crashed near Williamsport, Indiana, killing the commercial
A Student Pilot, a High-Risk Maneuver, and a Tragic End On February 15, 2023, a Star Lite SL1 aircraft crashed near Corning, California, after the
A Routine Flight Takes a Deadly Turn On May 15, 2017, a Learjet 35A on a short positioning flight from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to
A Foggy Morning Turns Risky at Austin Airport The early morning of February 4, 2023, was thick with fog at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). Pilots
