FAQs

What happens if both pilots fall asleep mid-flight?

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 …

What happens if both pilots fall asleep mid-flight? Read More »

How long do airliners typically last? Are they ever declared ‘too old’?

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 …

How long do airliners typically last? Are they ever declared ‘too old’? Read More »

Ocean belly landing: Will an airliner survive the plunge?

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 …

Ocean belly landing: Will an airliner survive the plunge? Read More »

What could drive an off-duty pilot to sabotage the Alaskan Airlines plane’s engines?

  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 …

What could drive an off-duty pilot to sabotage the Alaskan Airlines plane’s engines? Read More »

How many airliners would have run out of fuel if it weren’t for the “final reserve fuel” as required by law?

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, …

How many airliners would have run out of fuel if it weren’t for the “final reserve fuel” as required by law? Read More »

Can we build an aircraft that is nearly crash-proof and stall-free?

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 …

Can we build an aircraft that is nearly crash-proof and stall-free? Read More »

What caused the business jet to collide with the Boeing 737 in 2006?

GOL Boeing 737-800 Photo credit: Paul Hunter Alvarenga (http://tinyurl.com/adz8xujh) What caused the business jet to collide with the Boeing 737 in 2006? In 2006, a tragic collision occurred between a business jet and a Boeing 737. This event defied the typical conventions of air travel, where aircraft rarely collide head-on during cruise due to established …

What caused the business jet to collide with the Boeing 737 in 2006? Read More »

Why are airlines seeing an increase in unruly passenger behavior?

An Airbus A330 Image source: 123RF  Why are airlines seeing an increase in unruly passenger behavior? With the ongoing recovery of air travel from the pandemic, the aviation industry has been grappling with bad behaviors by some airline passengers. While these incidents have yet to reach an alarming scale, the social media and instantaneous information …

Why are airlines seeing an increase in unruly passenger behavior? Read More »

Is it safe for planes to take off with blown tires?

A British Airways Concorde in 1985 Photo Credit: Eduard Marmet (https://tinyurl.com/t626sac7) Is it safe for planes to take off with blown tires? This really depends on the type of aircraft, the speed when the blowout occurs and the consequential damages. While such incidents are rare, cases of planes successfully taking off and landing after blown …

Is it safe for planes to take off with blown tires? Read More »

Do pilots have to undergo any sort of mental check before flying?

A Germanwings Airbus A320 Photo Credit: SEBASTIEN MORTIER (https://tinyurl.com/496nyy8r) Do pilots have to undergo any sort of mental check before flying? Yes, long before proceeding to fly any commercial planes, pilots indeed undergo mental health checks. A study of 809 Brazilian pilots generally revealed that between 6.7% and 12% had a common mental disorder. Just …

Do pilots have to undergo any sort of mental check before flying? Read More »

Is it possible for someone who has never flown before to successfully land an airliner?

Photo: 123RF A Boeing 737 Cockpit Is it possible for someone who has never flown before to successfully land an airliner? For that someone who has never flown, the chances of successfully bringing the plane down safely are almost nil. But, if that passenger is a general aviation enthusiast, a computer geek on the Microsoft …

Is it possible for someone who has never flown before to successfully land an airliner? Read More »

Do planes ever really crash into each other in the air?

Image: Wikipedia A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 Do planes ever really crash into each other in the air? On 12 November 1996, a Saudia Boeing 747 from Delhi to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and a Kazakhstan Airline Ilyushin Il-76 from Shymkent, Kazakhstan to Delhi collided over Charkhi Dadri around 100 km west of Delhi. It was the world’s deadliest mid-air collision which killed all 349 …

Do planes ever really crash into each other in the air? Read More »

Is it safer to crash a plane on land or water?  What are the chances of surviving a water landing?

Ditching – An Emergency Water Landing Is it safer to crash a plane on land or water?  What are the chances of surviving a water landing? These 2 questions come from Praveen Upadhyay. Whether it would be safer to crash on land or water would depend on the choices available. If the misfortune happens near …

Is it safer to crash a plane on land or water?  What are the chances of surviving a water landing? Read More »