Aviation News Talk – Pilot Stories, Safety Tips & General Aviation News

Max talks about the details of the crash of a TBM 960, N960LP, at Truckee, California last weekend. He also talks in detail about his factory tour last week of Robinson Helicopter. Weather at the time the pilot flew the approach was ½ mile visibility and snow with clouds scattered at 300 feet and overcast at 700 feet. However the approach minimums were 1 mile visibility and the MDA is 582 feet AGL...

Max talks about two critical factors, sleep inertia and false glide slopes, which played significant roles in an Air India Express accident. Despite being unrelated phenomena, they converged to contribute to the crash of Flight 812 in 2010. Air India Express, a low-cost airline operating in India, experienced its first fatal crash during this flight. The aircraft, a Boeing 737, was returning from...

There are three secrets to making great landings. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are. That's an old joke but fortunately, there is a proven way to make better landings, and that's by collecting data on your landings. Host Max Trescott talks with Chuck Cali about how you can collect data for your landings and compare it with other pilots. The techniques apply to anyone flying a modern glass...

In this episode, Max discusses the crash of N1125A, a 1991 ASTRA/GULFSTREAM 1125 SP business jet at Ingalls Field Airport in Hot Springs, Virgina. It was the third fatal business jet crash in the U.S. in just five weeks. Five people on board were killed.  Several airline pilots send feedback about the United flight 2477 taxiway overrun at Houston. Max also reads listener emails related to the ten...

In this episode, Max discusses the critical issue of fuel-related accidents in aviation, highlighting various incidents and discussing preventive measures. He summarizes ten recent NTSB reports, showing that fuel starvation and exhaustion accidents are more likely in older aircraft. Despite advancements in modern aircraft with low fuel warning systems, older models lack these safety features, maki...

In this episode, Max discusses two Challenger jet crashes involving dual engine failures: one in Naples, FL, in February 2024 and another in Nebraska in 1994. The incidents share some similarities. In the Naples crash, both engines experienced oil pressure warnings within seconds of each other before failing simultaneously. The preliminary report indicates the left landing gear touched down first,...

Host Max Trescott recounts his recent trip in the Vision Jet, a G1 version, with a Patreon supporter who is working towards his type rating. He also talks about the VNAV Direct vertical navigation feature that he rarely uses, but found helpful during the trip. The journey involved flying from Oakland, California to Ann Arbor, Michigan and back, with several considerations such as runway lengths, w...

Host Max Trescott delves into arrival procedures for instrument pilots, focusing on common issues and best practices. The host begins by emphasizing the importance of understanding and properly executing arrival procedures, which are often overlooked, especially for pilots not regularly flying into larger airports. Arrival procedures, also known as Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs), facilit...

Host Max Trescott discusses the fatal crash of a Falcon jet in Georgia with aviation expert Rob Mark. The NTSB final report revealed a series of factors contributing to the accident. These included misreading a NOTAM regarding the ILS glideslope, difficulty entering the initial approach fix into the navigation system, high and fast arrival at the final approach fix, unauthorized use of airbrakes....

Max talks with Seth Lake about Vmc (Minimum Control Speed with the Critical Engine Inoperative) maneuvers, particularly focusing on their importance in multi-engine training. Seth also talks about the challenges and risks associated with VMC demonstrations and offers constructive suggestions for improving training practices in multi-engine aircraft. Seth explains that Vmc is the minimum controllab...

On the afternoon of Wednesday, 7 Dec, 2022. The Cincinnati, Ohio area had been IMC all day and a single engine aircraft, based at Hogan Field (KHAO) near Cincinnati was flying instrument approaches in IMC conditions with the help of Cincinnati Approach.    The aircraft departed Hogan field, located under the northern portion of the Cincinnati Class Bravo, and its first two instrument approaches we...

Max talks with Mark Kolber about Flying IFR in and out of Airports with no Instrument Approaches. Mark Kolber traces his expertise in aviation law to his background as a trial lawyer and a CFI. He emphasizes the importance of understanding rules, regulations, and procedures in IFR, highlighting that a significant portion of IFR involves adherence to regulations due to the potential impact on other...

This episode explores the advancements in the Cirrus SR22 G7 aircraft, emphasizing avionics and general enhancements over its predecessor, the G6. To learn the features of the new Cirrus G7, you'll want to purchase a copy of my Max Trescott's G3000 and G5000 Glass Cockpit Handbook , which covers virtually all of the features you'll find in the Perspective Touch+,used in the G7 and the SF50 Vision...

Max talks about some recent VFR into IMC accidents and other weather-related loss of control accidents. VFR into IMC accidents continue to be a problem for us as GA pilots. Not only are there too many of them, but they also have the highest lethality rate of any accident type, as 90% of these accidents are fatal. They are unique to general aviation, as they are almost non-existent in airline flyin...

Max talks about why controllers in the U.S. use vectors for approaches far more often than in other countries. He also shares listener feedback on why flying own navigation may be less work than getting vectors to final. He addresses misconceptions about the Activate Approach command and exactly what it does. He also talks about the importance of keeping your GPS navigator synch with your present...

Max talks about the FAA Controller Handbook rules for vectoring aircraft and how it relates to the crash of N188PC, a Pilatus PC-12 that crashed in Texas last week. He also talks about helpful tools in the Garmin G1000, G3000, Perspective and GTN 650 and 750 that you can use to tell if you might be getting a late turn from a controller that may take you through the final approach course. He also t...

Max talks with Jason Blair about the pilot examiner shortage and its impact on checkride delays. We also highlight the importance of proper paperwork and the common reasons for test discontinuation. Next, we delve into the requirements for checkride endorsements and the consequences of missing experience requirements. Jason addresses the misinterpretation of instrument rating requirements and the...

Max gives an update on the Shelbyville, Indiana SR22 crash on N17DT. A listener witnessed the crash and described the final moments of the flight before the crash. The witness contacted the NTSB to provide a statement. Max also talks about how three pilots' failures to follow standard operating procedures resulted in fatal crashes. Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets Max has been...

Max talks about when to choose an IAF versus Vectors when Getting Vectors to Final. Like most things in aviation, the answer is "It Depends." In older GPSs, choosing Vectors drops some waypoints, which is fine over flat terrain, but which can be dangerous when vectored over mountainous terrain. This is why CFIs often encouraged pilots to always load an approach with an IAF and not vectors, even wh...

Max  talks about the fatal crash of a SR22T in Shelbyville, IN and why after an engine, Cirrus pilots are encouraged to use the CAPS parachute rather than glide down to a field. He also talks about why a faster, heavier aircraft has more energy in a crash. He also describes the physics behind why a parachute pull is safer than trying to land in a field. Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR...

Max talks about the crash this week of a Cessna P210 in San Diego, and why it crashed. The flight originated in Concord, CA and flew for just over 4 hours to Montgomery Field in San Diego. The aircraft first tried to land at French Valley airport, was high on the approach and went missed. It diverted to Montgomery field to fly the ILS 28R, however the pilot flew about a third of a mile south of th...

Max talks about why the pilot of a Cessna 340 in San Diego turned right instead of joining the localizer and later crashed. It all came down to the pilot's lack of understanding of how to fly a circling approach, and his inability to communicate that he'd like to switch to a visual approach. This miscommunication led to a controller sending him back into IMC for a second approach. Sadly, at the ti...

Max talks about the final NTSB report results for a Cessna 340 that crashed in IMC while on approach into San Diego. The pilot's logbook revealed that Instrument Proficiency Checks and Flight Review conducted during the prior year were cursory and did not meet the requirements for issuing those endorsements. Max talks about the problems with pencil whipping flight training and falsifying endorseme...

Max talks with CFI and retired Air Force pilot Tom Dorl, about what GA pilots can learn from military flight training. Tom talks about the processes he used to fly during his 25-year military career. These include a more structured approach to preflight planning, maintaining proficiency and upgrading flying skills, building a unit of people to help you improve, and post flight debriefings. Support...

Have you ever struggled to enter a flight plan or an instrument approach into a GPS navigator? If you fly with an autopilot, do you know how to use it, and how to use all of its modes? Today we talk about the cockpit voice recorder transcript, just released by the NTSB, of two Pilatus PC-12 pilots who crashed in North Carolina. What you'll hear is chaos in the cockpit. Unbelievably, the two pilots...