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.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

With AIN Media Group's Aviation International News&nbsp;and its predecessor Aviation Convention News celebrating the company's&nbsp;<a href="http://ainonline.com/50-years" target="_blank">50th year</a> of continuous publication this year, AIN’s editorial staff is going back through the archives each month to bring readers some interesting events that were covered over the past half-century.
REWIND (MARCH 2005): The recently released NTSB preliminary report on the February 2 crash of a Bombardier Challenger 600 at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport was all too brief, considering the stir the spectacular, though nonfatal accident caused in the national media. On takeoff, Challenger N370V not only slid off the end of Runway 6 but went through the airport fence and hurtled across busy six-lane U.S. Route 46 at 7:17 a.m., striking cars and finally slamming into a warehouse across the highway, where it burst into flames.
The corporate jet, en route to Chicago Midway Airport, was owned by 448 Alliance of Dallas; leased to DDH Aircraft, also of Dallas; and operated by Platinum Jet Management of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The crash temporarily closed the airport and stopped traffic on the highway.
FAST-FORWARD: The three crew and eight passengers escaped the burning aircraft with only minor injuries, while two people in a passing car were seriously injured. This crash, which was eventually attributed to improper weight and balance calculations on the part of the crew (part of a dangerous and fraudulent tankering scheme by the now-defunct operator to cut costs and take advantage of less-expensive fuel contracts) became one of the seminal events in modern private aviation history. It launched years of investigations and resulted&nbsp;in heavy fines and criminal convictions for the executives of Platinum Jet for conducting illegal Part 135 flights. The incident also spurred the FAA to shine a spotlight on the issue of operational control.

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Flashback: Challenger Pilot Claims Yoke Was Jammed in TEB Crash 

We look back at some memorable events and coverage from AIN's half-century-old archives.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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.

Accident took place at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona

Landing Learjet Crashes into Parked Jet in Runway Excursion

AmyWilder

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

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

Low Maneuvering Cause of Fatal 2023 Bell 407 Crash

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

Industry Mourns Loss of Two Professionals in D.C. Crash

David Jack Kenny

Preliminary and final accident reports, February 2025

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: February 2025

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

Medevac Learjet Crashes after Takeoff in Philadelphia

Sarah Rose

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

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.

More In Accidents

Landing Learjet Crashes into Parked Jet in Runway Excursion

Accident took place at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona

Low Maneuvering Cause of Fatal 2023 Bell 407 Crash

Steep turn over terrain caused main rotor blade to contact ground

Industry Mourns Loss of Two Professionals in D.C. Crash

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

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: February 2025

Preliminary and final accident reports, February 2025

Medevac Learjet Crashes after Takeoff in Philadelphia

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

American Airlines Flight and Army Helicopter Collide

First major airline accident in U.S. in 16 years closes Reagan National Airport

Inquest Rules Fatalities in AW169 Crash Were Accidental

Jury and coroner find no grounds to dispute accident investigation findings

Loss of Control Causes Caravan Flight Test Accident

In-flight breakup followed accelerated stall with full flaps

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN