Flight Safety Detectives

The aviation industry is facing a critical challenge—the growing shortage of aviation mechanics. Todd Curtis and John Goglia break down what’s driving it and why it matters now more than ever.  From an aging workforce to surging global demand for air travel, the need for skilled technicians is reshaping the future of aviation careers. Go inside the high-energy Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AM...

Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis take you inside the critical first day of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation. Using the recent runway collision at LaGuardia Airport as a case study, they break down the unique challenges investigators face from the moment an accident occurs. You’ll hear how the NTSB “Go Team” mobilizes—often from different corners of the country—and...

This recording of a Flight Safety Detectives livestream was recorded soon after the fatal collision between an Air Canada plane and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport on March 22.  Greg Feith, Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the early facts related to the crash and compare the event to incidents they have investigated in their past roles with the NTSB and accident investigation.  The...

The very system designed to save lives in the air becomes a hidden danger on the ground. Todd and John break down a January 2026 NTSB safety alert warning first responders about the risks posed by Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) after an aircraft accident.  While BRS have saved countless lives by deploying parachutes in emergencies, the explosive activation system can be dangerous after a crash....

Developing: a routine training flight in March turned into a fight for survival. When a student pilot and instructor flying a Cessna 172 lost engine power over New York’s Hudson River, they were forced to make a split-second decision: attempt to get to Stewart International Airport near the United States Military Academy at West Point or put the aircraft down somewhere else. About five miles short...

What really happens in the hours and days after a major aviation accident and who controls the story? Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the issues and suffering creating when people speculate after a plane crash. To illustrate the point, they focus on a 2003 Charlotte, North Carolina Beech 1900 plane crash that drew intense national media attention.  John led the NTSB field investigation, naviga...

Recording of the monthly livestream!  Flight Safety Detectives go live to answer your aviation safety questions. This month, Greg Feith, Todd Curtis and John Goglia answer questions about TWA Flight 800, the recent Bangor plane crash, and the influence (or lack thereof) of corporate media on NTSB findings and decisions.  Flight Safety Detectives answer questions from the audience the 4th Monday of...

Take a deep dive into the iconic air traffic control scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. What host Todd Curtis uncovers might surprise you. Revisiting the tense near–midair collision sequence, Todd analyzes how accurately the film portrayed the real-world challenges pilots and controllers faced in the 1970s when reporting UFOs (now known as UAPs). As shown in the scene, two separate air...

The NTSB report of a fatal Piper Navajo crash in Medford, Oregon in December 2021 leaves important aviation safety questions unanswered. This fatal crash is attributed to spatial disorientation but facts available lead to serious questions about the fuel tanks and more.  The pilot had flown from his home in Nevada to Medford but had to have the fuel system repaired. Days later when the repairs wer...

This episode looks at two aviation accident investigations that were highly complex for very different reasons. One is the well-known TWA Flight 800 investigation where John Goglia and Todd Curtis were both directly involved. The other is a lesser-known 2002 crash of a Cessna 208B aircraft that is the subject of a book by author Leslie Kean. John and Todd review the crash of TWA Flight 800, an inv...

In a live episode for members recorded on Jan 26, John Goglia and Greg Feith offer their first findings related to Sunday's crash a Bombardier Challenger 600.  Both are familiar with the plane and share the issues that need investigating and the steps the NTSB is likely to take on scene. Investigators need to talk to people present that day and learn what happened leading up to the flight.  They a...

FAA data shows a steady decrease in U.S. accident rates for general aviation in recent years. But the data may not show an accurate story. Todd Curtis and John Goglia take a deeper dive into the data. Comparing the FAA rates to a NTSB table listing accidents in general aviation shows that the NTSB data implies that general aviation aircraft crashed roughly 50 times more frequently than airlines an...

A just-issued NTSB advisory warns operators of several Hawker jet models of a dangerous stall tendency not adequately explained in the aircraft's documentation. Todd Curtis and John Goglia share important background and details. The advisory was issued based on findings from two fatal Hawker jet crashes, one in 2024 and the other in 2025. Both occurred during post-maintenance flights to test the s...

In a December livestream event Todd Curtis and John Goglia tackled listener questions. Listen as they take a deeper dive into some of aviation safety’s most important topics: TWA 800 investigation – was it a coverup? Getting NTSB reps on the show to discuss investigations Taxiway issues How the media affects air crash investigations Updates on the Louisville crash Listen and get updated on these t...

A veteran crisis-communications expert and author of “Transport Management: Successes and Failures” (2026) joins the show. Linda Tavlin draws on more than 35 years of experience to discuss how transportation organizations—especially airlines—should communicate during major accidents and crises.  Linda and John Goglia reflect on their long professional history, including work on major aviation disa...

The European Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) on November 28, 2025, that ordered nearly 6,000 A319, A320, and A321 aircraft be grounded to check for a flight control computer issue. Todd and John recorded this show while gathering details about the grounding in real time. The show was recorded as John gets phone calls and emails from colleagues during the sho...

Recorded the day of the crash of a Cessna Citation earlier in the day that killed former NASCAR champion Greg Biffle, his family, and three others when the aircraft struck the ground just short of the runway and caught fire at the Statesville, North Carolina airport. The aircraft had taken off from the airport just a few minutes earlier and was attempting to land at the same airport. The aircraft,...

Guest Xyla Foxlin focuses on how the FAA and the aviation community can better support mental health issues faced by pilots and other aviation professionals. Foxlin is an engineer and pilot who produced an award-winning video about pilot mental health. Her aviation journey highlights include a Young Eagles flight that cemented her fascination with aviation, owning and maintaining a Cessna 140 that...

This recording of a live stream on November 26 gives additional insights and updates into recent issues in aviation safety. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith and John Goglia tackle viewer questions to correct mistakes and dig deeper into current accidents and incidents. Hear more about: Politics and aviation safety Basic Med rules The Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025 How a ramp worker was able to steal...

Take a deep dive into the NTSB preliminary report of what happened when a taxiing Delta A350 struck and substantially damaged an Endeavor CRJ in Atlanta. Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis examine the contributing factors, including crew distractions, limited visibility of the wingtip from the cockpit, and the layout of the taxiways. This event was one of three incidents involving Endeavor Ai...

The perception of aviation safety risk is much higher than the actual data. Safety data expert Mike Borfitz helps John Goglia and Todd Curtis look at how misleading data is used to support misleading theories about the Air India 787 and other high-profile aviation disasters. John and Mike highlight issues with reporting and documents related to the Air India accident. Learn the inside story on why...

A look at the facts provided in the NTSB preliminary accident report on the November 4, 2025, crash of a UPS MD-11F in Louisville, Kentucky. John Goglia, Todd Curtis and Greg Feith share their insider perspectives as they examine the details of this fatal plane crash. Many online commentators have speculated on the cause of the crash and other details of the accident, only to be proven wrong by th...

Breaking news! The FAA has made significant changes to the policy on reporting Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). UAP reports generated by air traffic controllers will use the acronym UAP instead of UFO, and controllers are required to provide specific information about the UAP in their reports. Also in this episode, Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss two 2025 fatal accidents in which pilot...

This recording of a livestream event covers many aviation safety topics, from designing aircraft for safety to mental health support for industry professionals to passenger responsibilities. Hear Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis tackle viewer questions with insight and candor! Among the topics covered: Biennial flight reviews Mental health in the cockpit and in the hangar Testing for certif...

In this 300th episode of the Flight Safety Detectives podcast, Greg Feith, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia welcome special guest Sarah MacLeod, executive director of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA). Maintenance issues get the spotlight, including how maintenance professionals and aircraft operators are challenged to understand how FAA maintenance regulations and standards apply to...