Vector Online - Page 3, In category When things go wrong

Read our special 'online' Vector stories here. Some are unique to the website, and some have featured in print issues of Vector.

Note: This archive dates back to 2015. So, the advice in some of the earlier articles may have changed.

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Aircraft icing

As New Zealand heads into the cold weather, it’s worth looking at how ice affects aircraft before they even leave the ground. Read the articleAircraft icing

Vortex ring state

Vortex ring state is a serious hazard all helicopter pilots need to be aware of. Read the articleVortex ring state

The incidence of flight crew being targeted by the menacing green (or blue) light is on the increase. There’s not a lot you can do to prevent them, there’s a bit you can do to mitigate their effects, but the most important thing is to report them.

Posted in CAA, General safety, When things go wrong;

Posted 7 years ago

Hands off the accident scene

It’s a world of selfies and rushing to be first to break the news on social media. That’s led to the work of CAA and TAIC investigators being frustrated by people deliberately or inadvertently interfering with aircraft accident scenes.

Posted in When things go wrong;

Posted 8 years ago

Learning from Kaikoura

The magnitude 7. 8 earthquake just after midnight on 14 November 2016 took everyone by surprise, including the aviation industry.

Posted in When things go wrong;

Posted 8 years ago

What happened here? Sifting the lessons from the wreckage

An interview with Hugh de Lautour, 22,000-plus hour power pilot, shown at AvKiwi 2016, held audiences rapt as he recounted the story of his glider’s out-landing and ground loop.

Posted in When things go wrong;

Posted 8 years ago

Icing

Icing is a year-round threat to pilots. Whether it accumulates in your carburettor, or on your airframe, it can have a huge effect on aircraft performance. Read the articleIcing

Wake turbulence - The invisible threat

All aircraft create wake turbulence, and usually the size of the aircraft is a good measure of how much wake it creates.

Posted in When things go wrong, Rotary operations, Pilot performance flying practice and professionalism;

Posted 9 years ago

Flying on a dying engine

Sunday, 30 August 2015, early afternoon. Christchurch air traffic control logs a MAYDAY from a Piper Arrow PA-28R-200, after some sort of explosion, and partial engine failure.

Posted in Engines and engine failure, Pilot performance flying practice and professionalism, When things go wrong;

Posted 9 years ago

December 1917 - Avoidable accidents

With interest in World War I peaking during 2015, Vector thought readers might be intrigued by figures for avoidable accidents gleaned from history.

Posted in General safety, When things go wrong;

Posted 9 years ago

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