Flight Safety Detectives
224 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 275 ratingsWorld-renowned aviation-industry consultants and former NTSB investigators John Goglia and Greg Feith have 100 years of worldwide aviation safety experience between them. In this hard-hitting podcast series they talk about everything aviation -- from the behind-the-scenes facts on deadly air crashes to topics of interest such as tips and tricks for navigating through airports and security, traveling with infants and children, unruly passengers, and packing your bags to ease through security.
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Episodes
Photo Shoot Model Struck by Aircraft Wing - Episode 215
April 03, 2024 08:00 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBA photo shoot in a dry Nevada lakebed went horribly wrong when the wing of an airplane hit the model in the head. Miles O’Brien, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia discuss the June 2023 accident that involved an Aviate Husky plane. The pilot, photographer and his wife, who was the model for the photo session, met early on the morning of the accident. On the fly, they planned a complex photo session involving the aircraft flying close to the model. The pilot misjudged his approach and the wingti...
Crash Shows Dangers of Home Built Aircraft - Episode 214
March 27, 2024 02:00 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBHome-built aircraft are dangerous. Special guest Miles O'Brien joins Todd Curtis and John Goglia to discuss an August 2023 crash of a Kit Fox Model 3 aircraft that seriously injured the pilot. The FAA's approach to home-built aircraft allows owners to build their aircraft with little or no direct oversight. The accident rate is more than two times higher than general aviation aircraft. The pilot did not have a current FAA medical certification or a current endorsement to operate an aircraf...
Stall and Spin Maneuvers Lead to Fatal Cessna 172 Crash - Episode 213
March 20, 2024 07:05 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBAn experienced flight instructor and student were killed when stall and spin practice in a Cessna 172 went horribly wrong. Flight data recorded by the aircraft and other evidence shows that the aircraft entered a very steep spiral turn nearly 6,000 above the ground and did not recover. “They set themselves up for the right conditions. This accident just doesn’t make sense,” John Goglia says. Todd Curtis and John dig into the November 11, 2021 fatal plane crash. The flight instructor had ne...
Two New Aviation Safety Incidents Involving Boeing Planes - Episode 212
March 15, 2024 14:04 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBMore than 50 people were injured on March 11 when a Boeing 787 flying from Australia to New Zealand experienced a precipitous drop. John Goglia shares inside information that indicates one of the pilot seats was accidentally moved forward, jamming the pilot up against the control column and causing the sudden drop. Special guest Miles O'Brien joins Todd Curtis and John Goglia to discuss this and another aviation incident from early March 2024. The second incident occurred on March 7, when a...
eVTOL Safety – Episode 211
March 13, 2024 14:03 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBTodd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia discuss the crash of a Joby JAS4 eVTOL aircraft to highlight safety concerns and regulatory challenges. Propulsion units used in eVTOLs pose significant safety risks. The eVTOL in this crash was being remotely flown during a test flight. The aircraft is powered by six electric motors and is designed to take off and land vertically like a helicopter and cruise like an airplane. John, Greg, and Todd examine how the design of the aircraft, with a uniq...
Challenger 604 Roadway Emergency Landing Mistakes – Episode 210
March 06, 2024 01:00 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MBTodd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the February 9, 2024 crash of a Challenger 604 jet on I75 in Florida. The plane landed on the road, but then crashed into a wall, killing the pilot and copilot. John and Todd discuss why a better outcome was possible. The jet, which had three crew members and two passengers, was nearing the end of a flight from Columbus, Ohio, when the flight crew declared an emergency to air traffic control. They lost their engines and could not make it to the airport. ...
Pilots in Helicopter Crash Repeat Errors in Kobe Bryant Crash - Episode 209
February 28, 2024 01:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MBThe helicopter crash that killed the CEO of a major Nigerian bank and his family appears to be the result of similar pilot errors that caused the Kobe Bryant crash and other high-profile accidents. Greg Feith and John Goglia cite several recent accidents that show that poor decisions among pilots who fly for Part 135 operators may be the common contributing factor. The Flight Safety Detectives explore the known facts surrounding the fatal flight. The forecast called for wintry mix along the...
Declaring an In-Flight Emergency Can Save Your Life – Episode 208
February 21, 2024 13:39 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBMost general aviation pilots hesitate to declare an inflight emergency fearing negative consequences. Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis use a Beechcraft Bonanza plane crash to illustrate how declaring an emergency can be the safest move. The fatal Beechcraft Bonanza accident in the spotlight of this episode is featured in the book, "Single-Pilot IFR Pro Tips" written by 2019 National CFI of the Year Gary "GPS" Reeves. Known as The Guy in the Pink Shirt, Reeves uses examples from sever...
Conspiracy Theories Surrounding Jenni Rivera Plane Crash– Episode 207
February 14, 2024 00:00 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBSinger Jenni Rivera’s tragic plane crash was a tragic accident and not the result of a conspiracy. This special episode of the Flight Safety Detectives features the January 24 interview Todd Curtis gave on the KIQI radio show “Hecho en California,” about the 2012 crash that killed Jenni Rivera. Todd shares with hosts Isabel and Marcos Gutierrez the conclusions shared by the Flight Safety Detectives team after they analyzed the formal accident report that was released by the Mexican governm...
Plane Crash Caused by Pilot's Poor Decisions and Lack of Aircraft Understanding – Episode 206
February 07, 2024 07:10 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBThe pilot of a Beech Bonanza F33A made an off-field landing when the engine lost power shortly after takeoff. John Goglia, Greg Feith and Todd Curtis dig into the information gathered by the NTSB and find this crash was caused by poor decisions made by the pilot. Greg, Todd, and John analyze the information from the Public Docket of the crash investigation. They find that the pilot's lack of understanding about the aircraft and its systems contributed a series of decisions that led to the p...
Bad Decisions Take Airplanes Out of the Sky – Episode 205
January 31, 2024 11:12 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBThe events that led up to the crash of a MD82 in Detroit are used to illustrate the critical role of operational discipline. Greg, Todd and John give insight into the issues that led to Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashing and disintegrating. This is just one example of bad decisions taking an airplane out of the sky. This aviation disaster killed two people on the ground and nearly everyone on board. The sole survivor was a four-year-old girl who was seriously injured. Hear the experts d...
Accident or Conspiracy? Singer Jenni Rivera Lear 25 Accident Examined – Episode 204
January 24, 2024 14:55 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBJenni Rivera was a huge celebrity at the time of her death. Was the plane crash that killed her an accident or do the conspiracy theories point to the real cause? In a continuation of the examination of this aviation incident that started in Episode 203, Greg Feith joins John Goglia and Todd Curtis to discuss why the conspiracy theories related to the crash are unlikely to be true. They use the evidence uncovered during the official investigation combined with their knowledge of the accide...
Singer Jenni Rivera’s Fatal Plane Crash Examined – Episode 203
January 17, 2024 13:51 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBTodd and John analyze the plane crash that killed singer Jenni Rivera. The report from the Mexican accident investigation found that the Learjet 25 aircraft lost control during climb for reasons that could not be determined. Key items are missing from the report that concluded that the crash was a loss of control event: No analysis results of the flight controls No flight data recorder recovered No cockpit voice recorder found No formal analysis of the pilots The In the wake of River...
Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 737 MAX 9 Update – Episode 202
January 10, 2024 22:23 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBLatest on the Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 737 MAX 9 aircraft plug door separation and rapid decompression. Todd, Greg, and John discuss recent developments, including the recovery of the plug door. They talk about the value of having the plug door for inspection. They share the sequence of events that led to the door separation based on factual evidence. The spotlight is now turning to Boeing. Will the company’s future actions keep the CEO’s promise that Boeing will be tran...
JAL Flight 516 Crash Factors Emerge– Episode 201
January 10, 2024 12:40 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBRunway images show that the Coast Guard Dash 8 involved in the collision with Japan Airlines Flight 516 was in the wrong place. The crew was to hold on the taxiway, but were actually on the runway. The plane standing still on the center line would have been virtually invisible to the pilots of the JAL Airbus A350. The scenario is similar to a runway collision involving US Air Flight 1493 that John investigated as an NTSB Board member. That investigation made midfield takeoffs illegal in th...
United Airlines Finds Loose Bolts on 737 MAX 9 Aircraft – Episode 200
January 09, 2024 13:10 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBUnited Airlines has reported loose bolts on five of their 737 MAX 9 aircraft plug doors. This is the latest in the unfolding look at what happened in the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. John and Greg use insights from their decades of experience inside NTSB and other aviation safety incident investigations to explain the latest developments. They cover the information that has been released so far and what is to come. John goes through the steps that aircraft mechanics wou...
737-9 Max Exit Door Panel Failure – Episode 199
January 07, 2024 16:07 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBWhat happened to Alaska Airlines Flight 1282? What is going on at Boeing? In this special episode, Greg and John provide expert insight into the rapid decompression and inflight separation of an exit door panel on a Boeing 737-9 Max airplane. The Flight Safety Detectives dissect issues surrounding this incident and the regulatory response that is already happening. They discuss similar incidents, including United Airlines Flight 811 747 near Honolulu where a Boeing 747-122 lost a cargo door...
Expert Insights into the Japan Airlines A350 Aviation Disaster – Episode 198
January 04, 2024 15:34 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MBAirport rescue and firefighting expert Jack Kreckie and the Flight Safety Detectives discuss the January 2, 2024 runway collision between a Japan Airlines A350 and a Japan Coast Guard Dash 8 in Tokyo. Kreckie shares his inside knowledge of aircraft firefighting techniques and the systems in place to save lives and manage fires. He shares how modern composite materials used on aircraft impact the job of firefighters. This event is compared with other notable accidents, including the ground ...
ATSB Report Offers Aviation Safety Details and Insight – Episode 197
December 27, 2023 12:12 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBTodd Curtis and John Goglia analyze an accident that was investigated by the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau, Australia's version of the NTSB. The ATSB report offers comprehensive aviation safety details and insight. John and Todd review the level of detail and compare it to what they find in NTSB reports from similar general aviation accidents. The Australian accident involved a Cessna 172 aircraft that crashed due to pilot decision making. This was the pilot’s first solo flight us...
Examining General Aviation Safety Issues – Episode 196
December 20, 2023 12:25 - 19 minutes - 18 MBGreg Feith and John Goglia review recent general aviation safety issues. Lack of operation discipline is leading to avoidable plane damage insurance claims. Because the claims increase insurance rates, all general aviation pilots are paying a price. Multiple incidents are shared as examples: planes running over taxi lights, ground collisions with aircraft and other objects, engines started with tow bars attached. John and Greg see a lack operational discipline by general aviation and profes...
Pilot and Maintenance Failures Create Dramatic Turboprop Incident – Episode 195
December 13, 2023 12:10 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBPilot and maintenance failures combined to create a dramatic turboprop incident that became a criminal case. John Goglia and Greg Feith explore the incident with a Piaggio aircraft that lost an elevator on the first flight of the day and continued with operations. The air taxi flight crew landed and flew to next airport without performing a preflight inspection. John and Greg talk about the indications the pilots could have detected to recognize problems even if they could not visually insp...
Poor Aeronautical Decision Making and Operational Negligence Kills 7 – Episode 194
December 06, 2023 11:32 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBMore money than brains? Todd, Greg, and John examine a fatal Bahamas helicopter crash where the pilots’ focus on what their billionaire boss wanted overrode operational discipline. The 2019 Agusta AW139 helicopter crash at sea killed both pilots and all five passengers. While the crew had flown the route on at least 10 previous occasions, this was their first night flight. Greg, Todd, and John raise many issues beyond the probable causes listed in the NTSB report: · Inadequate flight plan...
High-Flying Drama: Drone and Helicopter Collide in Mid-Air – Episode 193
November 29, 2023 12:57 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBA drone and helicopter collide in midair as they cover a desert road race. The crash caused minor damage to the helicopter and major damage to the drone. Todd Curtis and John Goglia dissect the video and NTSB report of the incident involving a Aerospatiale AS350BA helicopter and a DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone. John and Todd focus on key safety issues that the NTSB did not raise as they examined the 2020 collision in Johnson Valley, California. Operating helicopters and drones in the same low alti...
Bad Decisions Lead to Cessna Engine Failure and Crash – Episode 192
November 22, 2023 12:34 - 21 minutes - 19.2 MBOil leaks don’t just happen. When they do, they should trigger a close look at the engine. John Goglia and Todd Curtis share this advice after digging into the fatal crash of a Cessna Centurion after the owner and his passenger made unscheduled repairs on the oil system. The experienced pilot and passenger lost oil in fight and landed to add more. Surprisingly, there is no evidence that they did any kind of inspection of the engine. Witnesses present when they took off again say they did no...
Devastating Banner Tow Plane Crash – Episode 191
November 15, 2023 11:17 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBA pilot doing his first banner tow with a Piper PA25 crashed and died. Todd and John examine this devastating banner tow plane crash. They urge pilots to educate themselves about all types of flight operations. NTSB reports are a good resource, but more data is often available online. Images and videos taken by other pilots and the public and websites like FlightAware can help the effort to understand what is needed for aviation safety in all types of flight operations. The 2019 plane cras...
Major League Pitcher Halladay's Flight Stunts Lead to Death – Episode 190
November 08, 2023 09:01 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBA former major league pitcher who had a Hall of Fame career died when doing stunt-type maneuvers in his plane. Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss Roy "Doc" Halladay’s risk-taking behavior that led to the November 2017 crash of the Icon A5 light sport aircraft he was piloting. The plane crash occurred when Halladay was executing aggressive maneuvers at low altitudes over the waters near Clearwater, Florida. The NTSB investigation showed that Halladay had drugs in his system that would have ...
Pilot Attempts to Crash Plane, Lockerbie Bomb and More Crimes in Flight – Episode 189
November 01, 2023 16:18 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThe recent event where an off-duty airline pilot who was flying in an airplane jump seat allegedly tried to shut off the engines leads to a discussion of crimes in the air. John and Todd talk about several examples of criminal aviation disasters. In the October 2023 event, a Horizon Air Embraer E175 airliner carrying dozens of passengers from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco was endangered. An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot reported he had taken “magic mushrooms” 48 hours before the in...
High Risk Choices Lead to Plane Crash that Kills 2 – Episode 188
October 25, 2023 14:29 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBAn experienced pilot and mechanic made risky decisions, causing a plane crash that killed himself and a passenger. Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the 2021 crash and the many decisions made that compromised aviation safety. The pilot was flying a recently purchased Piper PA24 Comanche that had been grounded for the previous 15 years. The accident pilot was an experienced and certified FAA mechanic. He had extensive experience flying Piper aircraft, but no significant experience flying t...
Getting Serious About UAP Sightings – Episode 187
October 18, 2023 13:42 - 25 minutes - 23 MBNot too long ago, anyone who reported a UFO, or UAP as they are called today, was deemed crazy. The most likely follow up was a psychiatric exam. John Goglia and Todd Curtis report on the growing effort to systematically record and analyze these events. A September 2023 NASA report from an independent study team recommended that NASA use the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) to support U.S. government efforts to understand unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and the effect on aviat...
Too Many Plane Crashes Caused by Flight Instructor Error – Episode 186
October 13, 2023 12:45 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBSpecial guest former NTSB Board Member Richard Healing and Greg Feith and John Goglia cover the recent fatal crash involving Richard McSpadden. McSpadden was executive director of the AOPA Air Safety Institute and a true champion of aviation safety. “Richard contributed a lot to aviation safety, especially on the general aviation side,” Feith shares. The number of accidents involving flight instruction is sky high right now. Healy discusses his ongoing work in researching aviation safety i...
UAPs Pose Flight Safety Threats – Episode 181
October 03, 2023 13:11 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBPeople have seen unexplained objects in the skies for decades. The US Government and other entities are finally discussing these events publicly, an important development for aviation safety. “These events have an impact on flight crews and systems and are important to look at,” says Todd Curtis. Now falling under the classification, unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), these events have been cited by the US Government as impacting national security and public safety. Todd and John disc...
Medical Helicopter Crashes Show Aviation Safety Risks – Episode 185
September 27, 2023 18:59 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBThe sheer number of helicopter accidents in the last six months is raising safety alarms. Todd Curtis and John Goglia focus on the conditions that helicopter pilots, and specifically medical helicopter operations, experience. John and Todd examine the relatively frequent accidents around the U.S. involving medical helicopters. The show starts with a deep analysis of events around the August 28 crash of a medical helicopter in Pompano Beach, Florida. A video of the crash was shared online sh...
Accident Kills Entire Reba McEntire Band – Episode 184
September 20, 2023 11:49 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBHere’s a true aviation stinker ripped from the headlines! Todd and John discuss a recent event where a Delta A350 traveling from Atlanta to Barcelona had to return to Atlanta due to an uncontained diarrhea event involving a passenger. On to more serious aviation safety topics, they discuss in detail the March 1991 crash that killed the backup band for country and western music legend Reba McEntire. The pilots were flying out of an unfamiliar airport at night over mountainous terrain when th...
Gender Reveal Plane Crash Kills One, Bad Parts Back in Circulation – Episode 183
September 13, 2023 21:00 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBA recent gender reveal party turned tragic when the Piper ag plane used crashed and killed the pilot. John, Greg and Todd observe that the plane appeared to be poorly maintained. They share insight into the reasons why these types of commercial planes need special maintenance attention. The flight safety detectives focus on a recent report from the European aviation authority about bogus airplane parts. The report highlights efforts to track down suspected unapproved parts that could have b...
A Model for Investigating UAP Events – Episode 182
September 07, 2023 15:19 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBThe discussion of unidentified anomalous phenomena – UAP – continues as Todd and John look at the record of JAL Flight 1628. The 1986 UAP event was investigated in detail by the FAA. The investigation could serve as a model for how the U.S. government could systematically examine current UAP events. The event involved a large unknown craft that was seen by the flight crew and tracked by radar. It was larger than anything that was known to be able to fly at the height and speed that was doc...
Fun Leads to Tragedy for Famous Composer James Horner – Episode 180
August 23, 2023 11:22 - 28 minutes - 26 MBAerobatic fun led to tragedy in the fatal plane crash that killed composer James Horner. His aerobatic maneuvers in a high performance Tucano aircraft ended with a high speed crash in the canyons of California. Horner wrote music for dozens of movies, including Titanic, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and Avatar. Horner was the sole occupant of a high-performance Tucano turboprop aircraft. He crashed while performing a number of low-level maneuvers. John and Todd discuss the findings of t...
Aviation Thrill Seekers Beware – Episode 179
August 16, 2023 14:39 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBTodd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia discuss the risks of aviation thrill-seeking. They look at aviation disasters from the NTSB database that involve experiences outside of standard FAA regulations. The FAA allows certain commercial operators to offer voluntary high-risk experiences to the general public. “Top Gun” aerobatic rides, balloon flights, and sight-seeing flights are some examples. Existing rules allow for a wide range of leeway in FAA approval for these types of flights. Ove...
The Aviation Disaster that Ended an Empire – Episode 178
August 09, 2023 14:36 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MBTodd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia interview historian and author S.C. "Sam" Gwynne, about his latest book, "His Majesty's Airship." The book tells the story of the crash of the British R101 in France in 1930. The book discusses how the airship R101 was a key part of the British government's plan to cut by more than half the time it took to travel to distant parts of its empire such as Australia and India. The R101 crashed during its first commercial flight. The aviation disaster kil...
Carbon Fiber in the Air and Under the Sea – Episode 177
August 02, 2023 12:50 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBTodd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the use of carbon fiber in the Boeing 787 airplane and the Titan submersible. Prompted by listener questions, they explain why the carbon fiber is subjected to completely different – and riskier - conditions in the case of the sub that got international attention when it imploded on June 18, 2023. The Titan accident is under investigation by American and Canadian authorities. The submersible used a novel design that included using carbon fiber to construc...
NYC Air Crash Shows Danger of Wing Contamination – Episode 176
July 26, 2023 11:51 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBA F28 airliner crashed shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport due to icing that degraded the lift on the wings. Just 3% leading edge wing contamination would have been enough to cause this aviation disaster. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia highlight the safety findings related to the 1992 plane crash of USAir Flight 405. The aircraft had no devices to keep the leading edge of the wing clear in the cold and snowy weather conditions. The crash caused 27 fatalities. John shares...
Charter Flight Safety Boosted with Part 135 Certification Rules – Episode 175
July 19, 2023 15:35 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBDollars over lives? Greg Feith and John Goglia discuss Part 135 and “Part 134 ½” charter operations. They offer numerous aviation safety benefits of being (and using) a properly certificated charter company. It costs more but leads to safer operations. John and Greg cover the plane crash of Lear 25A in Teterboro, New Jersey to illustrate the value of proper charter operations. They review key findings of the NTSB report, including the lack of planning for a short repositioning flight and l...
Aviation Safety Lessons from First Flight into a Special Use Airport – Episode 174
July 12, 2023 16:28 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBA flight instructor chose to have a pilot take his first flight in an airplane into a special use airport and the result was a different learning experience than planned. The aircraft experienced a hard landing that led to a fracture of the right wing spar. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia discuss this accident in Puerto Rico that involved a Britten-Norman Islander aircraft. The instructor pilot chose to take a new pilot on his very first flight with the airline to a small airport t...
Aircraft Cargo Door Headaches – Episode 173
July 05, 2023 13:34 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBThis episode dives into the design and maintenance of aircraft cargo doors. Many aviation safety incidents with cargo doors are documented as maintenance issues, but some have caused notable air crashes. Todd Curtis and John Goglia focus on the 1989 plane crash of an Evergreen International Airlines DC9. The first officer did not properly close the main deck cargo door. The door came open shortly after takeoff, which led to a loss of control and a crash. John shares his long history dealin...
Flight Plan Creates Aviation Safety Risks – Episode 172
June 28, 2023 13:30 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBSome flight plans have aviation safety risks baked in. Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss a runway excursion accident involving a student pilot who in the same flight was attempting to satisfy both a night currency requirement and a 250 nautical mile training flight requirement for an instrument certification. The plan literally went off track during the attempted takeoff at the fourth stage of the flight plan. “They bent some metal, no one was injured, but there is a lot to learn from th...
John Goglia's Unique Insight into USAir Plane Crash – Episode 171
June 21, 2023 12:24 - 41 minutes - 38.2 MBYou had to be there to know the full story of the plane crash of USAir Flight 5050. John Goglia was, and he shares the experience. Todd Curtis and John discuss the fatal 1989 crash of USAir Flight 5050 at La Guardia Airport in New York. John directly participated in the accident investigation as a mechanic with USAir. He shares accident investigation details well beyond the official report. The extraordinary amount of media attention around the accident and the flight crew impacted the seq...
John Goglia’s Unique Insight into USAir Plane Crash – Episode 171
June 21, 2023 12:24 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBYou had to be there to know the full story of the plane crash of USAir Flight 5050. John Goglia was, and he shares the experience. Todd Curtis and John discuss the fatal 1989 crash of USAir Flight 5050 at La Guardia Airport in New York. John directly participated in the accident investigation as a mechanic with USAir. He shares accident investigation details well beyond the official report. The extraordinary amount of media attention around the accident and the flight crew impacted the seq...
Keith Green Plane Crash Shows Value of Accident Investigation – Episode 170
June 14, 2023 13:07 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBThe fiery plane crash that killed Christian music star Keith Green and 11 others resulted in safety lessons for every pilot. The NTSB accident report also has safety takeaways for anyone who rents or uses aircraft and pilots that are not their own. Greg Feith, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia talk about the circumstances of the fatal 1982 air crash. The thorough NTSB accident investigation (NTSB_FTW82AA299_Keith_Green.pdf) documents the roles that the overloaded and unbalanced aircraft and the ...
Small Hardware Causes Big Aviation Safety Problems – Episode 169
June 07, 2023 14:45 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBThe NTSB has a message for mechanics – pay attention to B-nuts! Todd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia dig into NTSB Safety Alert 086, which highlights four accidents that were caused in part by improperly tightened b-nuts. Small parts led to big problems. Two of the accidents were fatal. They focus on one accident that involves a very experienced pilot who also performed maintenance on the accident aircraft. The Bell 206 helicopter crashed following a fuel leak. The NTSB found that when...
Aviation Maintenance & Real-World Safety – Episode 168
May 31, 2023 12:21 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBAviation maintenance professionals are critical to safety. John Goglia helped put the spotlight on aviation maintenance and safety programs at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University recently. John did a presentation on Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Day and witnessed first-hand some safety operations in place at the university. Greg Feith also reviews lessons learned from the fatal June 1999 crash of American Airlines Flight 1420 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The NTSB investigation showed ...
40 Percent Power in a Cessna 150? – Episode 167
May 24, 2023 13:09 - 26 minutes - 24 MBA pilot’s report of 40% engine power is just one of many unexplained facts in the NTSB report of a crash involving a modified Cessna 150. The banner-towing flight crashed while attempting to land in Riverside, California. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia discuss a Cessna 150 banner tow plane accident where the pilot had engine issues shortly before landing and made an emergency landing near the airport. They discuss unusual decisions made by the pilot, including taking off in challe...