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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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 …
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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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 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 …
Cirrus Airframe Parachute System Image Source: NASA (https://tinyurl.com/3m2asxpp) Can we build an aircraft that is nearly crash-proof and stall-free? Many wonders if it’s possible to develop an aircraft that is entirely crash-proof and stall-free. Just like unsinkable ocean liners or uncrashable cars, the reality is that everything still carries some degree of risk. However, it …
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A China Southern Boeing 737-800 Xinjiang journey: Battling delays and tight security but leaving with cherished memories While some countries fret about flight delays in minutes, my recent journey to Urumqi tells a tale of hours! This narrative unfolds during my recent 11-day trip to Northern Xinjiang, when aboard a Chinese Airlines Boeing 737-800, the …
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