Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

NTSB investigators have turned their attention to “human action” and pilot training in their probe of the crash of a Colgan Air Q400 outside Buffalo on February 12, according to a Safety Board spokesman. At issue appears to be the reaction of the captain to a stick-shaker activation, which, if improperly executed, could explain the sudden pitch up that began the upset. An NTSB spokesman told AIN that investors hadn’t determined whether pilot input or some mechanical anomaly resulted in the severe pitch up, however.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Earlier during the flight, the crew observed “significant” ice accretion on the windows and wings before the eventual upset that resulted in the death of all 49 on board and one person on the ground. The pilots activated the de-icing boots 11 minutes into the flight from Newark Liberty International Airport. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In a prepared statement, Colgan reacted to reports questioning the training its pilots receive for reacting to stick-pusher activations. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Our crew training programs meet or exceed the regulatory requirements of all major airlines,” it said. “We continuously review our safety policies and training procedures as part of our everyday operations.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The flight’s captain, Marvin Renslow, had flown more than 3,379 hours in his career, but only 110 hours on the Q400, not counting 172 hours of formal training on the type. First officer Rebecca Shaw had accumulated 2,244 hours, 774 of which she flew on the Q400 for Colgan.

NTSB Turns Attention to Human Factors in Q400 Crash Probe

NTSB investigators have turned their attention to “human action” and pilot training in their probe of the crash of a Colgan Air Q400 outside Buffalo on Feb

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN