AOPA Never Again

AOPA presents the "Never Again" series in AOPA Pilot magazine and online to allow pilots to learn from the experiences of others.

Leisure
Hobbies
Aviation
51
Out of focus (December 2021)
An SR20 and a wobbly iPad prove not to be mutually beneficial. Ride along, but maybe leave your iPad at home (by Juan B. Plaza) 
7 min
52
Personal minimums (October 2021)
Flying single engine over the mountains at night in a vintage airplane. What could go wrong? (By Jim Pitman) 
7 min
53
Speeding toward the trees (September 2021)
By Steve Ells. 
8 min
54
Engine out at night (July 2021)
A night-time cross-country almost ends in disaster for want of a 50-cent part. (By Tom Hildebrandt) 
8 min
55
Where are the towers? (June 2021)
A medical helicopter pilot flies into night IMC. Where are the towers? (By Byron Edgington.) 
8 min
56
What doesn't kill us (May 2021)
An icy diversion to JFK. Grab your winter gloves and fly along. By Charmaine Sperling 
9 min
57
Night fright (April 2021)
Get there itis and a lack of night experience cause a stressful flight over north Florida. (By Douglas Kiefer) 
8 min
58
In the dark (March 2021)
The unusual layout of controls creates a problem for the pilot of a Piper Tri-Pacer. By Gilbert Halacz. 
6 min
59
Pop quiz (February 2021)
When, and how, to defer to an older pilot in an emergency situation? Find out one opinion. By Paul Locander. 
9 min
60
Smoke in the cockpit (January 2021)
Smoke in the cockpit and a partial avionics failure make for an interesting flight. (By Alex Jones) 
9 min
61
I Knew I Was Rusty (December 2020)
it's been said aviation accidents are caused not by one bad decision but by a chain of them. How about seven? Find out what's going on. (By James Witt) 
6 min
62
Rental Pilot Reluctance (November 2020)
Do you pay attention to small things or do you wait until they become big things? Find out one pilot's opinion. (By Sebastian Teunissen) 
8 min
63
Whispers of trouble (October 2020)
Do you really need to inspect the oil filter after every oil change? Read one pilot's perspective. (By Rusty Herrington) 
9 min
64
Deadly decisions (September 2020)
A teardrop turn between two ridgelines in IMC? Sounds dangerous. Find out the grim results. (By Gary Deck)
10 min
65
In a Pickle (August 2020)
We've all had some stinky flights but this is ridiculous. (By Bob DelValle) 
6 min
66
Run Dry (July 2020)
A bush pilot unsuccessfully calculates fuel instead of looking at the tanks. By Steve Ells. 
6 min
67
Close Call (June 2020)
Flying a race plane is different from flying just about anything else. Find out what happened on this pilot's maiden flight. (By W. G. Hill) 
9 min
68
Mother's Day Get-there-itis (May 2020)
A Mother's Day promise to his wife and mother caused one pilot to push his limits. (By Tom Snow) 
8 min
69
Floatplane Pain (April 2020)
Bad decisions often start with good intentions. (By Pat Haseltine) 
9 min
70
Close Call (March 2020)
How does a pilot miss seeing a Boeing 747? (By William Kramer) 
9 min
71
Into the Corn (February 2020)
Is a cornfield a good choice for an off airport landing? Sometimes you have no other option. (By Scott S. Thomas)
9 min
72
Sputtering into Vegas (January 2020)
A 182 pilot discovers fuel gauges don't always tell the whole story. (By Dave Houghton) 
8 min
73
Multiplying risks (December 2019)
Accepting a number of seemingly minor risks endangers a Cherokee pilot and his family. (By John Parker)
11 min
74
I do declare (November 2019)
 A Cessna twin pilot applies what he learned in an engine-out emergency to another engine-out emergency. (By Pierre Wildman) 
6 min
75
Say again (October 2019)
A 172 pilot calls tower and receives an instruction that's completely Greek to him. Of course he is flying in Greece. (By Carl Dworman)
6 min