Turbine Traveller
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The preliminary NTSB report on the United Airlines Flight 169 incident at Newark has been released. According to investigators, the crew encountered gusty headwinds and moderate turbulence on final approach to Runway 29. The captain disconnected the autopilot and autothrottles at about 880 feet and reduced thrust after the aircraft accelerated in the headwind. As the aircraft descended below 500 feet, the first officer repeatedly warned that the jet was becoming "slow" and later "still slow and a little low." Despite the decreasing airspeed, the approach continued and the captain responded to the automated 500-foot callout with "stable." Just seconds before touchdown, multiple crew members heard a loud "thump." After landing, the aircraft taxied normally to the gate, where the captain discovered significant damage to the aft fuselage. Investigators found three punctures, dents, and creases along the lower left rear fuselage. The damage was substantial enough to affect all three elements of the fuselage structure. The No. 1 left main landing gear tire also showed slash marks. The report also details damage to the truck involved in the collision, including windshield damage and punctures in the trailer's aluminum siding. Following the incident, United issued new operational guidance to pilots, warning against "ducking under" electronic or visual glide paths during the visual segment of an approach—a technique identified through its Safety Management System as contributing to dangerously low approach altitudes. The investigation remains ongoing.
Turbine Traveller455,060 Aufrufe • vor 1 Tag
Incidents like UA2005 are exactly why secondary cockpit barriers matter. An Installed Physical Secondary Barrier (IPSB) is a lockable metal gate positioned between the passenger cabin and the cockpit. Its purpose is simple: provide an extra layer of security whenever the cockpit door must be opened during flight. After 9/11, cockpit doors were heavily reinforced, but a vulnerability remained whenever pilots needed to briefly open the door for lavatory breaks, meal service, or crew changes. During those moments, the IPSB acts as a physical shield, preventing unauthorized access to the flight deck. To be certified, the barrier must: • Occupy enough space that it can't be bypassed by going over, under, or around it. • Resist forceful intrusion attempts. • Be quickly deployable and stowable by the crew. • Remain stowed during taxi, takeoff, and landing. The FAA mandated secondary cockpit barriers under 14 CFR 25.795, although implementation timelines have been adjusted over time. The barriers are now becoming a standard security feature on newly delivered airliners.
Turbine Traveller1,310,925 Aufrufe • vor 6 Tagen
UA236: The "Bluetooth Flight" Overnight, United Airlines Boeing 767-400ER (N67052) from Newark to Palma de Mallorca, Spain squawked 7700 about 1 hour into the flight and turned back after a suspected bomb threat onboard. A 16-year-old boy passenger reportedly renamed a Bluetooth device "BOMB." The device name appeared on nearby phones, other passengers' IFEs, and crew devices, triggering standard security protocols. The Purser announced on the loudspeaker that all passengers must turn off Bluetooth devices. This instruction was repeated multiple times, but the device was still on, prompting a U-turn back to Newark where the flight was met by security.
Turbine Traveller872,668 Aufrufe • vor 5 Tagen
NEW SETBACK FOR BOEING'S 777X PROGRAM The FAA has indicated that certification of the Boeing 777X is now unlikely in 2026, pushing the aircraft even further beyond its already lengthy delay. Boeing had been targeting FAA approval around October 2026, but the regulator now expects the 777X to be certified only after the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 complete their certification campaigns. The world's largest twin-engine airliner was officially launched in 2013 and was originally expected to enter service in 2020. If certification slips into 2027, the program will be more than 7 years late and nearly 14 years removed from launch before carrying its first passengers. Despite the latest delay, Boeing insists there are no new technical issues with the aircraft. Instead, the company says the prolonged timeline is largely the result of the FAA's significantly more rigorous certification process introduced after the 737 MAX crisis. 📹: dfwspotter
Turbine Traveller115,182 Aufrufe • vor 1 Tag
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AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 191 — THE DAY THE DC-10 CHANGED AVIATION FOREVER 49 years ago today, May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 crashed moments after takeoff from Chicago O’Hare, killing all 271 people on board and 2 on the ground. It remains the deadliest single-aircraft crash in U.S. history. The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 had just rotated off Runway 32R when the unthinkable happened: the entire No.1 left engine and pylon tore away from the wing, flipped over the aircraft, and slammed onto the runway. The separation severed critical hydraulic and electrical systems, causing the left wing’s leading-edge slats to retract unexpectedly. With the right wing still producing full lift and thrust, the aircraft became catastrophically unbalanced. The left wing stalled first. Within seconds, the DC-10 rolled violently to a 112° bank angle, nearly inverted, before crashing into a field near a trailer park at the end of the runway. Investigators later discovered the root cause was improper maintenance procedures. To save time, the engine and pylon had been removed together using a forklift instead of following McDonnell Douglas’ approved method. The process damaged the pylon structure, creating cracks that went unnoticed until catastrophic failure occurred during takeoff. Even more tragic: simulator tests later proved the crew did almost everything correctly. Critical stall warning systems had been disabled by the electrical failure, leaving the pilots with no indication the left wing was stalling. Flight 191 reshaped aviation safety forever, leading to stricter maintenance oversight, redesigned inspection procedures, and independent stall warning systems for both pilots. A tragedy that changed aviation history forever. Video shows recreation footage.
Turbine Traveller675,751 Aufrufe • vor 10 Tagen
The MD-11 has always had a critical design flaw. It was manageable until someone screwed up. To improve fuel efficiency and range, its horizontal stabilizer was made smaller than those of earlier DC-10 variants. While the design delivered performance benefits, it also reduced the aircraft's natural pitch stability, particularly at slower speeds during approach and landing. To help compensate, the MD-11 relied heavily on computerized stability augmentation systems. Many crews also preferred flying slightly faster approaches, which improved pitch stability but could make the aircraft more challenging to manage during touchdown due to its weight and sensitivity in roll and yaw. These characteristics became evident in several high-profile accidents. In 1997, a FedEx MD-11 arriving at Newark was reportedly operating under the belief that runway length was limited, prompting the crew to aim for an immediate touchdown. The aircraft landed hard, bounced, and became unstable. Instead of executing a go-around, attempts to salvage the landing resulted in another severe impact, collapsing the landing gear and destroying the aircraft in a post-crash fire. All five crew members survived. The accident highlighted a key lesson: when an MD-11 bounced significantly after touchdown, a go-around was often the safest option. That lesson resurfaced in tragic fashion in 2009 at Narita, Japan. During strong and gusty crosswinds, a FedEx MD-11 touched down hard and bounced. Believing the aircraft could still be recovered onto the runway, the crew attempted to continue the landing. The resulting control inputs led to an even harder impact, loss of control, and a crash that destroyed the aircraft and claimed the lives of both pilots. 📹: buybygb
Turbine Traveller205,498 Aufrufe • vor 3 Tagen
The NTSB later found that the N110AA DC-10 disaster began weeks before the AA191 crash during a maintenance procedure at American Airlines’ Tulsa facility. McDonnell Douglas recommended removing the engine and pylon separately, but American, Continental, and United used a faster shortcut by removing them together to save time and labor hours. During maintenance on Flight 191’s aircraft, a slight forklift misalignment jammed the pylon against the wing, creating a small structural crack that went unnoticed. Over the next 8 weeks, the crack grew with every flight cycle until the pylon finally failed during takeoff rotation, causing the entire engine to tear away from the wing. Fleet inspections afterward found similar damage on other DC-10s as well.
Turbine Traveller459,111 Aufrufe • vor 10 Tagen
A former 8-year-old Spirit Airlines Airbus A320, N652NK, performs a special wing wave after departing Las Vegas while being ferried to storage at Marana Pinal Airpark, Arizona. The aircraft had been parked at Las Vegas Harry Reid Int'l Airport for about a month before its departure. The flight was likely operated by a repossession company as part of the ferry process to storage. Video caught at LAS Vegas Airport LIVE (YouTube) via LAS Vegas Airport LIVE
Turbine Traveller247,300 Aufrufe • vor 6 Tagen
Boeing 787 engine startup, powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000. An excellent video showing a tailwind start, where the fan is initially windmilling in reverse. As the airflow through the core gradually builds, the fan begins rotating in clockwise direction (viewed from the front). 📹: ramperryan
Turbine Traveller101,645 Aufrufe • vor 3 Tagen
This Airbus A320 crew decided to skip de-icing and let the aerodynamic forces do the job.
Turbine Traveller9,028,016 Aufrufe • vor 7 Monaten
Delta and American Airlines CRJ pilots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are going viral after an ATC clip caught them making "meow," "ruff," and other animal sounds over the radio, but the controller wasn't having it. In the audio, ATC quickly shuts it down, telling them to act like "professional pilots." 📹: Flight Fantasy Simulator
Turbine Traveller1,527,798 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
🤯 Meanwhile in Buenos Aires, Aeroparque, a LATAM Airbus A320 had a shocking go-around!
Turbine Traveller935,379 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat