How do pilots decide whether to continue a flight or turn back when there’s a problem? On March 7, passengers on a Virgin Atlantic flight endured an eight-hour ordeal after their plane turned back toward the UK despite being near to North America. The Airbus A350 was just 330 miles from the Canadian coast when …
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An illustration of a fire evacuation on steps (not the AA 1006 flight) Two air incidents occurred in succession, an Airbus A320 and a Boeing 737-800. On March 12, a PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) Airbus A320 landed in Lahore from Karachi with one of its rear wheels mysteriously missing. A PIA spokesperson stated …
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Photo Credit: YYZBrennan (https://tinyurl.com/45dkdxau) Flight 4819 main body at Pearson Airport What could be the possible reasons for a plane to turn upside down after landing at Toronto Pearson Airport? Investigators have been cautious in discussing what went wrong when the aircraft touched down and rolled over at Toronto Pearson Airport on February 17, 2025. …
Black Hawk on collision path with CRJ 700 This question from Quora explores whether the pilots of American Airlines Flight 5342 could have taken different actions to avoid the tragic collision. One possible consideration is whether the captain could have declined the last-minute runway change from the original plan to land on Runway 1. The …
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Bird strike hazard – (an illustration only) Did the Jeju Air crash in South Korea show any signs of a possible bird strike? Yes, there was clear evidence of a bird strike when the pilot transmitted, “Bird Strike, Bird Strike, going around!” This was later confirmed by investigators, who found blood and feathers on the …
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My 2025 wish – a sponsor for my 3rd book, A Pilot’s Story Draft of my Book Cover Hi there, I’m the author of my forthcoming book, A Pilot’s Story, my third and possibly final book about my journey through the skies. This one follows my earlier works, Life in the Skies and Sky Tales, …
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Alert the flight stewardess of any lewd behavior Flying solo? Stay alert to strangers in the cabin Three days ago, a Moroccan teenager pleaded guilty to outraging the modesty of a woman on an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, to Kuala Lumpur. It was stated in court that during …
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An Airbus A350 in a strong crosswind with nose pointing away How do pilots handle their planes in strong crosswinds? Landing in strong crosswinds is among the most challenging tasks for pilots, requiring precise techniques to ensure the aircraft touches down safely. Recently, the pilot of a Malaysia Airlines A350 earned praise on social media …
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Is there any reason not to fly on the Boeing 737 given its safety concerns? I recently returned from a visit to the world-famous Three Gorges Dam and a Yangtze River cruise in Chongqing, China, flying aboard a Boeing 737-800 despite lingering safety concerns associated with some Boeing planes. The most recent incident of a …
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Airport Security at work during a bomb threat. Why bomb hoaxes are always taken seriously? Airlines treat bomb hoaxes as serious threats primarily for the safety of those onboard. Regardless of whether it is a hoax, every reported threat must be handled as credible until proven otherwise. This precaution ensures the security of passengers and …
An ‘unresponsive’ passenger in an aircraft cabin (CGI) How are deaths handled onboard a plane? Handling a death onboard a flight, whether involving a passenger or pilot, is extremely rare. However, on October 9, 2024, a Turkish Airlines captain tragically passed away from Seattle to Istanbul. When the captain collapsed, the co-pilot promptly took over …
Smokes in the aircraft cabin (an AI illustration only) What does smoke with the smell of fire in an airliner cabin mean? Smoke with the smell of fire in an aircraft cabin could indicate a potential fire, which is a rare but serious situation. While smoke or fumes in the cockpit or cabin are uncommon, …
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An ambulift evacuating a sick passenger (an AI illustration only) What do pilots do if there is a medical emergency onboard? In the event of a medical emergency onboard, the captain’s primary concern is to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected passenger while maintaining overall flight safety. Typically, the cabin crew informs the …
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Conquering a fear of flying in the digital age Nervous fliers are turning to flight simulators and social media to overcome their anxieties. (Courtesy of Louisa Lim) Mr Hamdan Mohamed Khamis (left), a senior first officer with the Seoul-headquartered Asiana Airlines, is one of the coaches of Flight Experience Singapore’s Fear of Flying programme. …
United Airlines DC-10 Photo Credit: Kplastique (Wikimedia Commons) What can you do when the hydraulic system in your plane fails? When a hydraulic system fails in an aircraft, the response depends on the type of aircraft and the severity of the failure. Hydraulic systems are essentially the “muscles” of an aircraft, responsible for operating the …
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Air Crash Investigators at Work Air crash investigation – Elmina air crash cause revealed. There are some air crash investigations that have remained unsolved, The most notable one is Malaysia Airlines MH370. On March 8, 2014, MH370 vanished from radar less than an hour after take-off. Despite extensive search efforts, only a few debris pieces …
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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 …