Cranky Flier

Browse by Tags

• 777
• A320
• Air France
• Alaska Airlines
• Alliances
• American
• BNET
• British Airways
• Continental
• Delays/Cancellations
• Delta
• ExpressJet
• Fuel
• Gol
• Government Regulation
• Guest Posts
• Labor Relations
• LGA - New York/La Guardia
• Mergers/Finance
• Midwest Airlines
• Northwest
• Pan Am
• Ryanair
• Safety/Security
• Schedule Changes
• Southwest
• Spanair
• Spirit
• United
• US Airways
• Virgin America
• Westjet

• How Did Those Northwest Pilots Miss the Airport?

  It has been plastered all over the news, but I wanted to wait a little until we had more information on what happened. Now that the NTSB has released its early findings, let’s talk. This is a mess. You know the story – Northwest 188 from San... Posted Oct 27 2009, 03:31 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, Northwest

• Europeans Require Pitot Tube Modifications for A330/A340

  Though the ultimate reason for the Air France A330 crash in the South Atlantic will likely never be known for sure, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recently issued an urgent Airworthiness Directive to replace certain Thales-manufactured... Posted Sep 29 2009, 03:34 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, Safety/Security

• Details of Obama’s Wild Plane Ride

  Last year, when then-Senator Obama was busy criss-crossing the country in support of his presidential bid, he ran into some trouble on one of his flights. At the time, we were told that it wasn’t a big deal and, of course, it landed safely. But... Posted Jul 16 2009, 03:06 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, Midwest Airlines

• Southwest 737 Diverts After a Hole Appears in the Roof

  Here’s a weird one for you. Yesterday, Southwest flight 2294 diverted to Charleston, West Virginia when a football-sized hole opened up in the top of the fuselage. And thanks to the magic of Twitter, someone had posted a picture from inside the... Posted Jul 14 2009, 03:18 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, Southwest

• Some Thoughts on the Air France A330 Accident Off Brazil

  It’s been well over 24 hours since we first heard that an Air France A330 disappeared over the ocean on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. In that time, I’ve seen a million different theories about what happened, and that always makes me... Posted Jun 02 2009, 03:05 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, Air France

• This Week on BNET (May 11 - 15)

  ExpressJet To Fly 10 Planes for United This Summer Looks like ExpressJet is flying for United this summer, and it seems like a win-win for everyone considering the circumstances. Delta Pulls Out of Boston - Baltimore Route That didn’t take long... Posted May 16 2009, 03:23 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, BNET, Continental, Delta, ExpressJet, Labor Relations, Mergers/Finance, Spirit, United, US Airways, Virgin America

• No Comments on the Crash of Continental 3407

  A very strange thing happens when a commercial airplane crashes. All of a sudden every person related to this industry feels the need to write about it following the standard script. 1) Report that there was an accident 2) Offer “thoughts and prayers”... Posted Feb 13 2009, 04:26 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, Continental

• British Airways 777 Accident at Heathrow Linked to Delta Incident

  We all remember the BA 777 that lost power and crash-landed at London/Heathrow, right? Last September, an interim report was put out on the accident saying that ice buildup blocking the fuel flow was the likely culprit. Now Boeing is not only agreeing... Posted Feb 05 2009, 03:23 PM by The Cranky FlierBritish Airways 777 Accident at Heathrow Linked to Delta Incident Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, British Airways, Delta, Fuel

• TripAdvisor Says People Watch Safety Briefings; I Call Bullshit

  TripAdvisor put out the results of a study yesterday regarding airplane safety. I’m sure it was spurred by the US Airways accident last week, and I have to say that the results seem absolutely, completely wrong. It may not be their fault - some... Posted Jan 22 2009, 03:51 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents

• What US Airways is Doing for The Passengers of Flight 1549

  It’s somewhat surprising, but you rarely hear about how people and their families are treated after an accident. What actually happens? US Airways is opening up the kimono a bit here to show us how they’re dealing with it this week. So far... Posted Jan 21 2009, 04:11 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, US Airways

• Yet Another Post on US Airways Crash in the Hudson

  No, you didn’t miss my first post, but I’m sure you’ve seen about a million since the US Airways A320 plopped down into the Hudson River yesterday. So, I won’t bother to recap what happened, and I’m probably the only site... Posted Jan 16 2009, 03:49 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: A320, Accidents/Incidents, US Airways

• This Week on BNET (Dec 22 - 26)

  Secretary of Transportation Nominee Ray LaHood on Aviation Obama has picked former Congressman Ray LaHood (R-IL) as his Secretary of Transportation. Will this be good for the airline industry? When Twitter Gets Interesting It’s rare that I find... Posted Dec 27 2008, 03:51 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, Alaska Airlines, Alliances, American, BNET, Continental, Delays/Cancellations, Delta, Government Regulation, LGA - New York/La Guardia, Schedule Changes, Southwest, Westjet

• Pan Am 103 Crashed Twenty Years Ago Today

  I know I usually don’t post on Sundays, but this is no usual Sunday. It’s December 21, and that means it has now been 20 years since Pan Am Flight 103 exploded in flight and the remains rained down on Lockerbie, Scotland. Two hundred fifty... Posted Dec 21 2008, 08:01 AM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, Pan Am

• A Pilot’s View on the Brazilian Gol/ExcelAire Accident (Guest Post)

  We got into an off-topic discussion in the comments section of a previous post recently about the latest in the Gol/ExcelAire midair collision in Brazil, and I thought it was worth a closer look. Fortunately, I was able to turn to a pilot friend of mine... Posted Dec 18 2008, 03:36 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents, Gol, Guest Posts

• The Brighter Side of a Horrible Airplane Accident

  Picture this. You’re sitting on an airplane in the middle of Africa descending for landing into the city you live. Next thing you know, the plane is lying on the ground, snapped in half, and you don’t quite know what the heck is going on.... Posted Nov 26 2008, 03:41 PM by The Cranky Flier Filed under: Accidents/Incidents