A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

Cessna 550 Citation II, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 29, 2009–During landing roll at Salt Lake City International Airport at the end of a Part 91 flight, N44FR skidded off the runway when the right main landing gear retracted, causing substantial damage to the aircraft but no injuries to the three people on board. The twinjet’s right wing contacted the ground and then clipped adjacent runway lights as the pilot attempted unsuccessfully to keep the airplane on the runway. 
According to the pilot, all three green gear-down lights were illuminated before landing. Examination of the Citation showed that the right main gear hydraulic actuator had retracted into its housing. Cessna removed and examined the part under FAA supervision and found three significant anomalies: the mis-rigging of the actuator downlock switch, worn or over-trimmed back-up rings at the lock piston seals and the lack of required sealant at the downlock switch and the visual indicator. The safety wire on the downlock switch was also missing its tamper-proof indicator seal. None of the anomalies was considered to be a clear independent cause of the gear collapse. Further dimensional, visual and non-destructive testing conducted at GE Aviation Services did not produce any findings that the technicians felt would affect the locking of the actuator.

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Factual Report: Citation II Skids After Gear Collapse

Cessna 550 Citation II, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 29, 2009–During landing roll at Salt Lake City International Airport at the end of a Part 91 fl

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Pilot died of cardiac arrest during the flight

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News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Six fatal accidents resulted in 22 fatalities in the quarter

NBAA Report Flags Powerplant, Collision Risks in Q2 Data

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Twenty years ago, a business jet and commerical airliner collided; the smaller airplane survived

Remembering a Solemn Anniversary: the Amazon Midair 

David Jack Kenny

Preliminary and final accident reports, September 2026

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News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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Captain opted out of instrument approach over autopilot concerns

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Helicopter experienced a vertical hop for which the pilot didn’t know the recovery procedure

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