Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Contributor - Accidents and Regulations

Contributor - Accidents and Regulations

Kerry Lynch

Gordon Gilbert

Moments before the Feb. 13, 2022, fatal crash of a Piper Meridian just after takeoff from Johnson County Executive Airport in Olathe, Kansas, the pilot of the single-engine turboprop radioed an “urgent need to return to the airport,” according to the recently published NTSB final report. The airplane stalled and crashed, killing the 51-year-old pilot and sole occupant.
Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Due to the extent of damage, the NTSB could not determine the nature of the emergency.
The 2012 PA-46-500TP had recently undergone an annual inspection, and the pilot planned to fly the airplane under Part 91 IFR back to his base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Weather was day VMC with wind from the north at 15 knots. Once airborne from Runway 36, the airplane drifted slightly right, and the pilot radioed an urgent need to return to the airport. The controller cleared the airplane to land but no further transmissions were received.
Flight path data showed the aircraft slowing before turning back, with the speed continuing to decrease. Final data recorded the airplane at a groundspeed of 45 knots. “The groundspeed would equate to 60 knots airspeed when considering the 15-kt headwind,” said the NTSB. “The stall speed chart for the airplane listed the minimum stall speed for any configuration as 64 knots.”

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

NTSB: Unknown Emergency Preceded Piper Meridian Fatal Aircraft Crash

An investigation did not find mechanical failures 

The pilot involved in a fatal Piper Meridan crash declared an emergency after departing from Olathe but investigators could not determine the cause.

NTSB: Unknown Emergency Preceded Meridian Fatal Crash

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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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.

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News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Steep turn over terrain caused main rotor blade to contact ground

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Jessica Reed

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

 Casey Crafton of Guardian Jet and Vikesh Patel of GE Aerospace were among those killed in the American Airlines Flight 5342 crash

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Preliminary and final accident reports, February 2025

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All six aboard—four crewmembers and two passengers—were killed in the accident

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New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

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.

In this article

Piper Meridian

Piper

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