Decoding Aviation Accident New Reports

[201er]

Often times the local news is the first to report on aviation accidents. But, reading news reports can be tricky and misleading. Since it can take some time before you can get a more accurate understanding from the NTSB, I compiled a translation of what news or eye witness accounts mean in aviation terms:

Engine sputtered = normal engine operation, the way any engine sounds right before a crash
Spiral dive into ground = spin
No flight plan filed = normal VFR flight
Engine stopped = fuel starvation
Belly landing = forgot to put gear down
Pilot incapacitated = being stupid
Glider crashed in field = routine off field landing

 

What else?

[jaylw314]

45 minutes ago, 201er said:

Often times the local news is the first to report on aviation accidents. But, reading news reports can be tricky and misleading. Since it can take some time before you can get a more accurate understanding from the NTSB, I compiled a translation of what news or eye witness accounts mean in aviation terms:

Engine sputtered = normal engine operation, the way any engine sounds right before a crash
Spiral dive into ground = spin
No flight plan filed = normal VFR flight
Engine stopped = fuel starvation
Belly landing = forgot to put gear down
Pilot incapacitated = being stupid
Glider crashed in field = routine off field landing

 

What else?

Overflew witnesses very low = usually happens before a crash
Engine suddenly stopped as it flew past witness = Doppler shift
Hadn't renewed license in years = Doesn't need to renew certificate

[skydvrboy]

Emergency landing = precautionary diversion (as in... the airplane had a defective warning light and had to make an emergency landing)
Runway = could be any part of the airport (as in... a trespasser left the terminal and ran out onto the runway)
Weather related accident = pilot error (as in... the pilot flew into a thunderstorm resulting in a weather related accident)
Tarmac = we have no idea what the various parts of an airport are actually called

Of course there are the classics:
Defective flux capacitator = Engine issue
The Asian Air pilots were: Sum Ting Wong, We Tu Lo, Ho Le Fuk, and Bang Ding Ow (obviously inappropriate, but hilarious for live TV)
 

[MikeOH]

On 12/29/2021 at 4:36 PM, skydvrboy said:

The Asian Air pilots were: Sum Ting Wong, We Tu Lo, Ho Le Fuk, and Bang Ding Ow (obviously inappropriate, but hilarious for live TV)
 

I've won some 'bar bets' from people who think I'm making the story up!

For the uninitiated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaOkTKfxu44

 

[carusoam]

15 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

I've won some 'bar bets' from people who think I'm making the story up!

For the uninitiated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaOkTKfxu44

 

These were the days where ordinary broadcast news and USAToday were fighting for the lowest common denominator status…

USAToday can goof up a simple story without any airplanes… 

 

-a-