accidents – Aviation News Talk

377 Why Good Pilots Crash with Dr. Tony Kern + GA News

Max talks with Dr. Tony Kern about human error, airmanship, and the hidden threats pilots pose to themselves. Tony shares how his passion for understanding error began with the tragic loss of two of his former B-1 bomber students in 1992. The crash, attributed to “a failure of airmanship,” prompted him to research the elusive meaning of that term—work that eventually led to his book Redefining Airmanship.

Beyond medical transport, they assist military veterans by flying them to camps designed for rehabilitation, as well as special events like Major League Baseball games. They also provide commercial airline tickets, through partnerships with JetBlue and Southwest, as backup transportation.

Tony emphasizes that even the best pilots are “one decision away from disaster” and discusses how errors often don’t result in negative outcomes, which falsely reinforces bad habits. He introduces the concept of a “personal fingerprint of error” and advocates tracking errors—both in and out of the cockpit—to identify behavioral patterns.

The conversation also touches on complacency, fatigue, and how inexperienced team members can sometimes better sense danger than veterans. He recalls the Thirtymile Fire as a case study in poor decision-making and leadership under stress. Tony concludes by stressing the instructor’s responsibility not to pass along a faulty product, and encourages pilots to be relentless students of their own behavior. He also shares resources from his company, Convergent Performance, and his books, podcast, and LinkedIn newsletter.

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Mentioned on the Show
Buy Max Trescott’s G3000 Book Call 800-247-6553
Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset Giveaway
Dr. Tony Kern’s Convergent Performance company
Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast
Dr. Kern’s Books
Blue Threat: Why to Err Is Inhuman
Redefining Airmanship
Flight Discipline
Going Pro: The Deliberate Practice of Professionalism
Darker Shades of Blue: The Rogue Pilot
Armored Knight
The Ghost of Nathan Hale
Dark Wind by Buck Myles (Tony Kern)
13 Bullets: A Blue Walker Action Thriller Series by Buck Myles

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320 The Secret to Making Better Landings with Data – Chuck Cali + GA News

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 cockpit, such as the G1000. Chuck has analyzed 40,000 Cirrus landings and concluded that pilots could be doing a better job, especially during the flare and touchdown.

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University of Southern California

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318 Recent Fuel Exhaustion and Fuel Starvation Accidents + GA News

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, making them more susceptible to such accidents.

The episode stresses that fuel-related accidents are not exclusive to low-time pilots, as even experienced ATP-rated pilots can be affected, especially when transitioning to new aircraft models. Accidents are often attributed to inadequate fuel planning and improper in-flight decisions.

Two main categories of fuel-related accidents are discussed: fuel exhaustion and fuel starvation. Fuel exhaustion occurs when no usable fuel remains onboard due to poor decision-making or leaving fuel caps off, while fuel starvation happens when fuel is not reaching the engine due to various factors such as incorrect fuel tank selection or mechanical failures.

These real-world examples underscore the need for thorough preflight planning, careful fuel management, and awareness of aircraft systems to prevent such accidents. The episode also offers practical advice for pilots flying older aircraft to minimize the risk of fuel-related accidents. It advocates for the installation of fuel totalizers, which provide accurate real-time fuel readings and are more reliable than traditional fuel gauges. Regular updates of fuel totalizers after refueling are essential for accurate fuel monitoring.

Drawing from personal experience, Max highlights the effectiveness of fuel totalizers in providing precise fuel readings, significantly reducing uncertainty compared to conventional fuel gauges.

In conclusion, the podcast emphasizes the significance of proactive measures in mitigating fuel-related accidents in aviation. By prioritizing thorough preflight planning, awareness of aircraft systems, and leveraging advanced technologies like fuel totalizers, pilots can enhance safety and minimize the risk of fuel-related incidents, ultimately ensuring a safer flying experience for all.

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United FL2477 ADS-B Data on Flightradar24

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309 VFR into IMC and other Recent Loss of Control Accidents + GA News

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 flying. He also talks about how to calculate the bank angle required to get a standard rate turn.

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Palm Springs Air Museum

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272 Spatial Disorientation and SOPs: Analyzing Three Recent Accidents

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Summary
272 Max talks about three recent accidents, all of which should have been avoidable. Interestingly, two of them involve helicopters, and yet the lessons we can learn from them apply directly to fixed wing pilots as well. Two of the three accidents involve failure to follow standard operating procedures, and two of them appear to include spatial disorientation.

Mentioned in the Show
Episode 13 – Hot prop dangers, how Magnetos Work
Episode 161 – Kobe Bryant Crash Update
Episode 177 – Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Explained

Videos Mentioned in the Show
R44 Hog Hunting Helicopter Crash Video

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210 CFIT Controlled Flight into Terrain Accidents and the Crash of Another Friend + GA News

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Summary
210 Max talks about common myths about CFIT, or Controlled Flight into Terrain Accidents. More than 75% of CFIT accidents occur in daylight, and more than half of these are in visual conditions. 25% of accidents were VFR into IMC. CFIT accidents often occur while using the autopilot. In September, a friend crashed an Arrow 10 miles from the destination while flying straight and level in Day VFR.

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Mentioned in the Show
Lightspeed Zulu 3 headset + free Survival Kit
FAA: CFIT and Overreliance on Automation
General Aviation Joint Steering Committee
Piper Arrow Accident in Arizona
KSL.com article on Piper Arrow Crash
NTSB Prelim Report on Arrow Crash – PDF download
Sensorcom AV8 CO Detector
Mountain High EDS O2D2
B36TC hypoxia accident
FAA: On Landings, Part II
Chilling warning for Summer flyers
Seawind has 7 crashes

Videos Mentioned
Accident Case Study: Into Thin Air

Max’s Books – Order online or call 800-247-6553 to order.
Max Trescott’s G3000 and G5000 Glass Cockpit Handbook
Max Trescott’s G1000 & Perspective Glass Cockpit Handbook
Max Trescott’s GPS and WAAS Instrument Flying Handbook

If you love the show and want more, visit my Patreon page to see fun videos, breaking news, and other posts in the Posts section. And if you decide to make a small donation each month, you can get some goodies!

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207 Fighters Chase Beech B36TC and Recent Hypoxia-related Accidents + GA News

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Summary
207 Max talks with Rob Mark about an accident in which fighters chased a B36TC with an unconscious pilot and about other recent hypoxia-related accidents. He also talks with Annemarie Bain about the 2022 Pilots Without Pants calendar, a fundraiser to raise money for aviation scholarships. Cirrus is offering a free Takeoffs and Landings online course and a YouTube video shows a King Air in a spin.

News Stories

Mentioned in the Show
Fighter jets tracked plane over Wisconsin before it crashed
Neighbor recalls night of plane crash that killed one man
Appareo Vision 1000
Hazardous Attitudes, Which One Do You Have?
Free Takeoffs and Landings course from Cirrus

Videos Mentioned
King Air Stall/Spin as Skydivers Prepare to Jump
Youtube version: Pilots without Pants Interview

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206 Helicopter Wake Vortex Accidents and Incidents + GA News

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Summary
206 Max talks about airplane accidents caused by helicopter vortices. Pilots should exercise extreme caution near helicopters, especially at low altitudes. Although these kinds of accidents aren’t really common, there is about one accident per year. It appears helicopters may churn up air in all directions, and that the location of their wakes may not be quite as predictable of those from airplanes.

News Stories

Mentioned in the Show
Fuel Contamination: Cessna C550 Citation
2nd story on Cessna C550 Citation incident
DEF Fuel Contamination Incident
84-year-old former pilot with Parkinson’s Flies Again
KC-135 and Cows Accident Beale AFB
Photo of Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker Accident

Videos Mentioned
Human factors for pilots – Situational awareness
Lake Eyre Seaplane Incident – Searey pilot
Helicopter Wake Turbulence affects C172 on Takeoff

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205 Cessna and Cirrus Seat Rail Incidents and Accidents + GA News

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Summary
205 Max talks about Seat Rail accidents that have occurred in Cessna and Cirrus aircraft. Also, a video recording from a pilot made minutes after he pulled the parachute in his Lancair over a forest in Oregon last week. You’ll also hear the ATC audio from a San Diego plane crash that killed two people last week; the pilot appears to have lost situation awareness.

News Stories

Videos Mentioned
Lancair Pilot’s Video after pulling parachute

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204 13 Recent General Aviation Accidents + GA News

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Summary
204 Max talks about 13 recent general aviation accidents. A Citation crashed after taking off with the parking brake on. A couple of planes crashed when pilots raised the landing gear instead of the flaps. A midair collision left tire tracks on the wing of a plane. Two CFIT crashes occurred, on at night and one in low visibility. More info on the crash of a Baron that was misfueled with Jet A.

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