TUESDAY MAR 19, 2024
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Category: Stories
STORIES Mar 18, 2024 Remembering David E. Harris: The First African American Commercial Airline Pilot On March 8, the aviation industry was saddened by the loss of David E. Harris (1934-2024), the first African-American pilot to receive the title of captain at a major US commercial airline in 1964. The Columbus, Ohio-born Harris had a storied career in the United States Air Force before switching to a commercial airline in the mid-1960s, when he was fighting through barriers regarding race. Read More →
STORIES Mar 18, 2024 Crashing into the Forest Near Paris: The Story of Turkish Airlines Flight 981 Turkish Airlines Flight 981 (TK981) was a flight from Istanbul-Atatürk (ISL) to London-Heathrow (LHR) with a layover at Paris-Orly (ORY). On March 3, 1974, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 crashed into the Ermenonville Forest near Paris. The fatal crash, which killed all 335 passengers and 11 crew on board, was the deadliest plane crash in aviation history until March 27, 1977. Read More →
STORIES Mar 18, 2024 The Most Avoidable Passenger Plane Crash: Air France Flight 447 On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight 447 was cruising from Rio de Janeiro to Paris when suddenly the communications were lost, and debris from the flight was later recovered from the Atlantic Ocean. The investigation revealed several issues that caused the flight to crash, which would later be addressed to improve flight safety. Read More →
STORIES Mar 17, 2024 Heavy Fog Leads to a Boeing 747 Crashing into Homes in Kyrgyzstan: Turkish Airlines Flight 6491 Turkish Airlines Flight 6491 was a scheduled international cargo flight operated by ACT Airlines on behalf of Turkish Cargo. An incident occurred while the flight was conducting a layover in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on January 16, 2017. Read More →
STORIES Mar 17, 2024 Crashing into a Mango Garden After Takeoff: Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688 This is the story of Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688, a shocking tragedy that highlighted the negligence of an airline and the ultimate price it had to pay. Read More →
STORIES Mar 15, 2024 How a Dead iPad Almost Killed 200 People Mobile devices have played a pivotal role in facilitating air travel, particularly for pilots who can utilize devices like iPads for navigation. However, the main navigational guide for pilots occasionally malfunctions, making the flight harder to operate. A tablet failure nearly caused a catastrophic air incident in Switzerland, jeopardizing the lives of over 200 people. Read More →
STORIES Mar 15, 2024 Catching Fire After Takeoff and No Evacuation: Saudia Flight 163 On August 19, 1980, Saudia Flight 163 took off from Riyadh International Airport in Saudi Arabia. What seemed like a normal flight started taking a turn for the worst when the crew received warnings of smoke from the cargo compartment. The flight crew declared an emergency and returned to Riyadh, landing 28 minutes after takeoff. Read More →
STORIES Mar 13, 2024 Disaster in Queens Two Months After 9/11: American Airlines Flight 587 Tragedy struck New York City only two months after the attacks on September 11, 2001. This is the tragic story of American Airlines Flight 587, the second-worst aviation accident in U.S. history. Read More →
STORIES Feb 23, 2024 The 1956 Grand Canyon Mid-Air Collision: The Crash That Created the Modern Air Traffic Control System The summer morning of June 30, 1956, disaster began with a sudden bang and the sickening crunch of metal crashing into metal. This incident facilitated the creation of the modern en route air traffic control system, which has made commercial aviation the safest means of transportation in human history. Read More →
STORIES Feb 17, 2024 Exclusive: Interview With Raúl Revuelta Musalem, CEO of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico I had the chance to sit down with Raúl Revuelta Musalem, the CEO of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), about Mexico's aviation industry. This is my second time interviewing Raúl: our previous discussion in August was about Tijuana International Airport (TIJ) and the future of Baja California's aviation sector. Read More →