Since the start of the year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been investigating over 1,600 flight incidents, all varying from minor- to fatal. In New York, there have been over a dozen incidents involving smaller planes since the summer, with a majority close to the Capital Region and Hudson Valley.

What happened this month when a plane made an emergency landing on the Thruway is just one of many flight incidents that have been taking place within the last year. Fortunately, the pilot and passengers were okay, and it would take the FAA 90 days to determine the exact cause of the emergency landing.

Another small plane crashed onto an interstate highway in New York, killing one of two people on board and injuring the other, authorities said.

NewsChannel 13 spoke with Robert Katz, who has been a pilot and a flight instructor for over 40 years. He said some of the most common incidents involve mechanical issues, but they can also include preventable issues such as refueling, or even testing the limits of an aircraft carelessly, which both are FAA violations for a pilot.

“No person can operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner to endanger the life or property of another. And this is the catch-all regulation that the FAA will tap to violate a pilot when a pilot shows or demonstrates careless and reckless behavior with an aircraft,” Katz said. “Such as, willfully violating a fuel endurance requirement or exceeding the operating limitations of the airplane and the consequences can be severe.”

This includes the pilot getting their license suspended and needing to retake flight courses- which can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.

In response to the spike in incidents in the last couple of years, the FAA has been offering more ways to help pilots become more prepared for emergencies. This includes flight simulations that can be done on a home computer, but most importantly, sites that can help a pilot create their final flight plan.

“We get into an airplane because we want to get to our destination,” Katz said. “But reaching our destination is a bonus. The expectation must always be to divert. We can run into weather that’s unforecasted, we can develop a mechanical problem with the airplane, and we can end up consuming more fuel at a faster rate than we initially anticipated. So we need to know where all of our diversion options are along our entire route of flight.”

Here are some other tips from the FAA on how pilots can stay safe and be prepared:

1. Plan what you’ll do in emergencies. Know the runway length and calculate the acceleration/stop distance for takeoffs. Also, know where you’ll go if you can’t return to the departure airport. For multi-engine airplanes, know your best single-engine climb speed (Vyse). This will be your target airspeed after engine failure. 

2. Review your plan before you fly. Professional crews brief you on every takeoff, approach, and landing, and you should do the same. Reviewing what you’ll do before you do, it can improve the likelihood of a timely and correct response. 

3. Practice SBT with a flight instructor. It’s the best preparation for a successful emergency response.