Curt Epstein
Senior Editor

A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined AIN in 2007, Curt came to the publication 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 AIN sister publication 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  Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.

Before joining AIN, Curt worked with 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.

Latest from Curt Epstein

Bizjet, Turboprop Deliveries Down, but Billings Up

Business jet and turboprop delivery totals declined for the seventh straight quarter, but industry billings rose a modest 0.2 percent in the first six mont
Maintenance and Modifications

Former Jet Aviation Scion Loses Battle with Illness

Carl Hirschmann, former Jet Aviation CEO and the eldest son of company founder Carl W.
Accidents

Final Report: Control loss blamed in runway excursion

Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, Amarillo, Texas, Feb.
Accidents

Final Report: Manufacturing flaw LED to rotor blade crack

Bell 206L-3, Abilene, Texas, March 29, 2009–The NTSB determined the fatigue crack in the trailing edge of a main rotor blade was caused by
Accidents

Final Report: Pilot disorientation blamed in King Air crash

Hawker Beechcraft King Air B200C, North Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands, Feb.
Accidents

Final Report: Engine shutdown felled UK Citation

Cessna Citation 500, London, UK, March 8, 2008–A missing rivet head on a fuel shutoff valve likely caused an inadvertent engine shut
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Engine problem forces emergency landing

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, Beagle Bay, Australia, Jan.
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Taxiing trouble sinks seaplane

Cessna 208 Caravan, Little Peconic Bay, N.Y., June 17, 2010–The float-equipped Caravan was taxiing in rough water and high winds after lan
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Reported engine problem downs King Air

Hawker Beechcraft King Air B100, Quebec City, Canada, June 23, 2010–After the pilot reported experiencing problems with the right engine o
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Grand Caravan downed in Mexico

Cessna 208B, Felipe Carillo Puerto, Mexico, June 13, 2010–The Mexican-registered Grand Caravan was destroyed and the two crew and seven pa
Accidents

Preliminary Report: King Air nosegear fails

Hawker Beechcraft King Air C90, Fort Worth, Texas, June 3, 2010–The King Air, owned and operated by the FAA, was substantially damaged whe
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Citation Excel suffers door failure

Cessna 560XL Excel, White Plains, N.Y., May 28, 2010–The twinjet, operated by NetJets, sustained minor damage when the main cabin door ope
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Heli-logging mission ends in crash

Kaman K-1200, Donnelly, Idaho, June 16, 2010– The K-Max was engaged in a long-line external lift operation when part of the intermeshing twin rotor
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Helicopter loses main rotor and tail boom in flight

Bell 222U, Midlothian, Texas, June 2, 2010–The twin-turbine helicopter was destroyed and its ATP-rated pilot and mechanic were killed after it crash
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Runway excursion follows engine fire on takeoff

Cessna 525 Citation, Leeds, UK, June 7, 2010–A fire in the starboard engine caused the twinjet to abort its takeoff from Leeds-Bradford Internationa
Regulations and Government

FAA rule mandates aircraft reregistration

Starting this fall, U.S.
Accidents

Tuboprop safety declines as bizav activity picks up

As U.S.-registered business aircraft have begun to fly more hours compared with last year, accidents (at least those involving turboprops) have been on the

Pre-owned sector hamstrung by inventory of older aircraft

Millions of years ago, scientists say, the dinosaurs were rendered extinct by a cataclysmic event that shook the world.
Aircraft

Viking Air Hands Over First New Twin Otter 400

Canada’s Viking Air today at the Farnborough airshow handed over its first new Twin Otter 400 to launch customer Zimex Aviation.
Regulations and Government

FAA: Aircraft Re-registration To Begin This Fall

The FAA yesterday issued its final ruling mandating the re-registration of all U.S.

CAE blends computer modeling, simulators for better integration

While best known for its comprehensive aviation training courses and its lineup of flight simulation devices, CAE has moved further upstream into the aircr
Aircraft

New-build Twin Otter will pull oil-field duty

Canada’s Viking Air celebrates a major milestone here this afternoon when it hands over its first new Twin Otter 400 to launch customer Zimex Aviation.
Safety

Turboprop Accidents Rise, Bizjet Rate Stabilizes

As business aircraft flight hours have increased over the last year, so too have turboprop accidents, according to first-half statistics released by Boca R
Accidents

Factual Reports - Tire Damage Eyed in Runway Excursion

The Mexican-registered twinjet was substantially damaged when it departed the runway on takeoff from Eagle County Regional Airport en route to Chihuahua, M
Accidents

Factual Reports - French King Air Makes Gear-up Landing

Following an electrical system anomaly, the French-registered turboprop twin, operated by Air Alizé, sustained substantial damage after making a successful
Accidents

Factual Reports - TBM Crashes After Loss of Control on Landing

The single-engine turboprop was destroyed but its ATP-certified pilot was unharmed when it departed the runway after touchdown at Montgomery County Airpark
Accidents

Factual Reports - Pilot Forgets to Lower Turboprop's Gear

The pilot told investigators that after takeoff he experienced a primary trim failure but continued to his destination airport using secondary trim.
Accidents

Final Reports - Citation II and Tractor Collided on Runway

The NTSB has ruled that the air traffic controller’s failure to monitor the runway environment properly caused the accident between the landing Citation II
Accidents

Final Reports - Turbine Blade Failure Blamed in Fatal Crash

Loss of engine power during landing approach due to a fatigue fracture in a power turbine blade caused the fatal helicopter crash, according to the Board.
Accidents

Final Reports - Pilot Failed to Deploy Landing Gear Manually

The pilot’s failure to follow the proper manual landing-gear extension procedure caused the gear-up landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the Ki