Human Factors

An uncertificated pilot with no tailwheel or high-performance experience purchased a powerful Yakovlev Yak-55M and immediately crashed it following a string of poor decisions. What can we learn from this accident?

What can we learn from an accident that happened while taking kids up for their first flights by a pilot who didn’t have full knowledge of the airplane’s systems and a mechanic who missed a clogged fuel line?

What can we learn from a pilot who experienced a fire from a battery in his portable ADS-B unit?

A March 2024 accident where the engine failed “without warning” raises the question of whether an “old school” technique might be able to catch problems newer tools miss.

What lessons can we learn from a pilot who crashes while landing at the wrong airport?

The big takeaway from this accident is clearly that flying as a crew requires good communication and a clear discussion of who is responsible for each aspect of the flight. If we really want to take a page from airline crew resource management, duties should be divided up, rather than duplicated.

When something unexpected happens in flight we’ve all been taught to Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. But pilots need to realize that’s not a checklist, but a cycle to be repeated over and over again until the situation is resolved.