A British European Airways Trident Image source: Chris England What happens when a pilot faints during a flight? Last Saturday, CNN Portugal reported that an EasyJet pilot fainted on an Airbus A320 flying from London Luton to Lisbon. In aviation terminology, fainting is classified under pilot incapacitation. Pilot incapacitation may be obvious, such as during …
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Effects of CrowdStrike Global IT Outage Is it safe to fly during the CrowdStrike outage? CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect, prevent, and respond to various cyber threats. However, on July 19, 2024, it deployed a faulty update that caused a worldwide IT outage, significantly affecting, amongst …
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Two-pilot crew in the Boeing 787 cockpit Image: 123RF Why do airlines have multiple pilots on a flight? The first airline, an ancestor of British Airways formed in 1916, used former military planes and had only one pilot and could carry two passengers. The FAA today requires two pilots for aircraft that exceed 12,500 pounds. …
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Aloha Airlines Flight 243 Image source: @OnDisasters (https://x.com/OnDisasters) Do People Ever Fall Out of Planes Mid-Flight? This is an odd question asked from Quora. Under normal circumstances, people don’t fall out of planes mid-flight because the doors of an airliner cannot be opened in flight unless accidentally ejected due to rapid decompression or other abnormal …
Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER Photo credit: N509FZ( https://tinyurl.com/5hnmz5vp) 62 Seconds of Deadly Severe Turbulence Last week, one passenger died and about 30 passengers were injured when a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 encountered severe turbulence over the Irrawaddy Delta, Myanmar. The Singapore Ministry of Transport TSIB just released a preliminary a report that the rapid changes …
A SIA Boeing 777-300ER taking off at Zurich Photo Credit: Aero Icarus (https://tinyurl.com/3b5zy4b5) The Boeing 777 severe encounter with turbulence On May 21, a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 diverted to Bangkok and made an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport after encountering severe turbulence, leaving one dead and about 30 injured. Reuters reported that the …
Eruptions of Volcano Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland Photo Credit: Boaworm (https://tinyurl.com/5n6e5udc) Flight risks with volcanic ash after eruptions Anxious moments arose when a warning came that volcanic ash will soon sweep over the Malaysian airspace due the recent volcanic eruptions. This main eruption happened at Mount Ruang on April 16, 2024 in North Sulawesi, Indonesia and …
Sky Bound Memories: A Boeing 777 Pilot Reunion The recent Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 pilot reunion held at Contango in the Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, on 26th April 2024 was an unforgettable experience. Sixty former aviators, with whom I once shared the skies, gathered for the cherished occasion. For me, the event was a precious …
A British Airways Boeing 777-200ER Photo credit: Mark Harkin (https://tinyurl.com/bdz6mknw) How flying can go wrong during pilot incapacitation in flight Pilot incapacitation refers to a situation where an operating pilot becomes unable to perform his duties due to sudden medical issues occurring during flight. One critical scenario is during low visibility operations, particularly when a …
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Batik Air Airbus A320 Photo credit: Bahnfrend (https://tinyurl.com/aek44jam) What happens if both pilots fall asleep mid-flight? On January 25, 2024, an Indonesian Batik Air flight encountered a startling incident where both pilots fell asleep for 28 minutes from Sulawesi to Jakarta. The potential consequence of such an event is that the plane will continue on …
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Baseus Power Bank 30W 10,000mAh with iPhone Understanding what can cause battery explosions in aircraft cabins The use of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, such as those found in power banks has become common for providing portable power to electronic devices such as your handphones. While generally safe, these batteries can pose risks of fire or explosion …
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A Delta Airlines Boeing 777-200ER at Tokyo Narita Airport. Photo Credit: Konstantin Von Wedelstaedt (http://tinyurl.com/4e5fbkxp) Flight Emergency: What are the pilot’s actions when an engine fails in flight? An engine failure on a twin-engine plane is very rare, yet it remains one of the most extensively trained and tested exercises in a pilot’s career. Engine …
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Air Nippon Airways B787 at Haneda Airport Photo credit: Masahiro TAKAGI (http://tinyurl.com/39s473xc) On January 17, 2024, a distressing incident happened aboard a Boeing 787 en route from Tokyo to Seattle as a 55-year-old American passenger displayed unruly behavior, biting a flight attendant’s arm. The disruptive conduct prompted the captain to make the unusual decision to …
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A Gaping Hole on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Photo credit: RickyCourtney (http://tinyurl.com/5623bj22) How fortunate were the passengers and crew of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 that the door blew out at a lower altitude rather than during cruising! It was indeed lucky that the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 was still climbing at around 16,000 …
Japan Airlines Flight 516 wreckage at Haneda Airport Photo Credit: Makochan12.9 (http://tinyurl.com/mry28x6h) Learning from the Japan Airlines Flight 516 Crash The recent crash involving Japan Airlines Flight 516 at Haneda Airport serves as a lesson not all agrees in the past, that one should leave all belongings behind during an emergency evacuation. On that fateful …
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Boeing 737-200 Aloha Flight 243 showing significant structural failure. Image source: ResearchGate (http://tinyurl.com/mrys9sna) How long do airliners typically last? Are they ever declared ‘too old’? Commercial airliners typically have a lifespan ranging from 20 to 30 years. In reality, a plane’s age isn’t measured in years but rather in pressurization cycles. The pressurization process, essential …
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A shooting star (An artist ‘s impression) Image source – Star Gazers (https://tinyurl.com/2p96s7fn) Do pilots see anything during a night flight? As a pilot, I often get questions from passengers who, when gazing through the windows at night, see nothing but pitch-black darkness. They wonder how we navigate and fly the plane safely in such …
Ocean belly landing: Will an airliner survive the plunge? This question, although answered before, still arouses some interest on whether an airliner can survive a belly landing on the ocean. First, let’s us clarify this concept: a belly landing occurs when an aircraft lands without extending its landing gear, relying on its underside for the …
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Alaskan Airlines Embraer 175 Photo credit (https://tinyurl.com/22eaedpp) What could drive an off-duty pilot to sabotage the Alaskan Airlines plane’s engines? On October 22, 2023, a disturbing incident happened on an Embraer 175 flight from Everett to San Francisco. An off-duty pilot occupying the jump seat attempted to shutdown both its engines. This unusual incident …
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A Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-312(ER) Photo credit: byeangel (https://tinyurl.com/wusm83hv) How many airliners would have run out of fuel if it weren’t for the “final reserve fuel” as required by law? The fuel planning policies by airlines are there for ensuring the safety of each flight. It would include the fuel required for a specific journey, …