In the world of aviation, it’s often the routine flights that sneak up with unexpected surprises. On April 30, 2025, in Bethany, Oklahoma, one such

On a quiet summer morning in Mooresburg, Tennessee, the stillness of dawn was broken by the low hum of a vintage airplane. It was August

An Island Tour Turned Tragic On the idyllic island of Kauai, Hawaii, what began as a scenic helicopter tour ended in a tragic in-flight breakup

The Final Flight On a hot summer afternoon in Southport, North Carolina, a seasoned pilot took off in his beloved Mooney M20R for what was

A Beautiful Morning in Mulberry April 2, 2024, dawned clear and calm in central Florida. Over at South Lakeland Airport in Mulberry, a quiet hum

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 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

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