I'd love to move on from the Air France crash, but the media insist on getting things wrong again
By Patrick Smith Jun 26, 2009
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Are passengers at risk? Plus: Plenty of flotsam and jetsam, but no real answers in Air France crash
By Patrick Smith
June 18, 2009
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The media loves the "wrong speed" theory, but a lightning strike and electrical failure are more likely culprits.
By Patrick Smith
June 8, 2009
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Flight 447 shouldn't have gone down, but it did. Were normally non-dangerous phenomena the culprits?
By Patrick Smith
June 2, 2009
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Do pilots have a "romper room"? Do they fly the same routes over and over? Those questions and more
By Patrick Smith
May 22, 2009
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Do you really think I'd lie to you about cabin air? Plus: The Colgan crash and the problems with regional airlines.
By Patrick Smith
May 15, 2009
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From swine flu to malaria, how jetliners can spread disease. Plus: Is the air on planes really as dirty as we think?
By Patrick Smith
May 8, 2009
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How did a suicidal passenger get the door of a pressurized plane open? Plus: Can't any pilot fly most planes? And: The autopilot was on during landing?
By Patrick Smith
May 1, 2009
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Is pilot fatigue a menace to airline safety?
By Patrick Smith
April 17, 2009
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The Buffalo crash revisited. Plus: Landing in the water, idolizing Sully and selling books.
By Patrick Smith
April 10, 2009
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Did a stupid, inexplicable mistake cause the crash near Buffalo, N.Y.? Plus: The weird hell of working for a regional airline.
By Patrick Smith
April 3, 2009
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Planes crash. The media descends. But why can't reporters get their facts straight? Plus: Kudos to an outstanding exception.
By Patrick Smith
March 27, 2009
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If you're a pilot, no matter how much skill you have, or how many lives you've heroically saved, the only thing that matters is seniority.
By Patrick Smith
March 20, 2009
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Will the airlines' current financial troubles affect safety? "Sully" Sullenberger thinks so, but I'm not so sure.
By Patrick Smith
March 6, 2009
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What makes a plane stay in the air, anyway? And what happened the night Flight 3407 fell from the sky near Buffalo, N.Y.?
By Patrick Smith
February 27, 2009
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Was ice the culprit in last week's deadly plane crash? Or some other unlikely chain of events?
By Patrick Smith
February 16, 2009
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How to build the perfect airline terminal? Here are 15 steps in the right direction.
By Patrick Smith
February 13, 2009
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JetBlue is touting its fancy new terminal, but it just makes me wonder: Why can't Americans build better airports?
By Patrick Smith
February 6, 2009
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There's more than one way to define "hero."
By Patrick Smith
January 30, 2009
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It wasn't heroics that saved the passengers of Flight 1549. It was professionalism -- and luck.
By Patrick Smith
January 23, 2009
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Most bird strikes don't cause damage, but they can be disastrous. Thursday's accident ended well because of good luck and brilliant flying.
By Patrick Smith
January 15, 2009
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The hazards of flying while Muslim. Plus: Africa's coolest airport, surly airport staff, dangerous T-shirts.
By Patrick Smith
January 9, 2009
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Bailout nation: Will the airlines follow Detroit to the government trough?
By Patrick Smith
December 19, 2008
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Can commercial jets fly upside down? Has terrorism forced a change in transoceanic flight paths? And other probing questions for our expert.
By Patrick Smith
December 12, 2008
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Malcolm Gladwell claims cultural issues can play a big role in plane crashes. The pilot begs to differ.
By Patrick Smith
December 5, 2008
Some stories just won't fly
When a pilot dies mid-flight
Flight 447's perfect storm
Why the Air France plane crashed
Ask the pilot
Ask the pilot
GigaOM Network
Joan Walsh
Broadsheet