Flight Safety Detectives

Episode 124 John and Greg have get-real conversation about alarming trends in aviation safety. Accidents are increasing, even among experienced pilots. At the same time, the NTSB has scaled back on investigations and is issuing reports with superficial findings. Are more air disasters in the making? Pilot shortages are leading to a push for training volume over quality. The college requirement has...

Covering the “sister” accident to the flight crash discussed in Episode 122, John, Greg and Todd focus on the role played by manufacturers in aviation safety and maintenance. The NTSB findings place the blame for this 1995 accident squarely with the propeller manufacturer and FAA oversight. Nine of 29 people aboard the Embraer EMB-120RT were killed in the crash of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Fligh...

A close look at the crash of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311. This 1991 accident brings focus to the importance of thorough and methodical inspection and maintenance beginning in the factory. The flight started at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and was headed to Brunswick, Georgia. The twin-turboprop Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia crashed just north of Brunswick while approachi...

Some air crashes are not really accidents. Todd and John characterize the focus of this week’s episode an event where a perfectly good airplane was destroyed. “Some pilots have more money than brains, and this seems to be a case of that,” John says. The 2021 air crash event involved a Cessna Citation flown by a single pilot. Although the pilot had experience in aviation, he had been denied a type...

Episode 120 The efforts of the Flight Safety Foundation take center stage. Special guest is Jim Burin, former technical director at the Foundation and chairman of the award committee for the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award. Greg and John highlight the many accomplishments of the foundation as an independent, international, and impartial non-profit that exists to champion the cause of aviation...

Episode 119 The Flight Safety Detectives take on two recent events where pilot stunts led the FAA to revoke their pilot certificates. Pilots are counted on for solid decision making and judgement. The FAA found that pilots failed in their duty to fly safely. The FAA took the action when pilots Andy Farrington and Luke Aikins conducted a stunt for Red Bull that had been denied. In the other inciden...

Episode 118 Charlie Taylor (1868 – 1956) was an American inventor, mechanic and machinist. John, Greg and Todd talk about the impacts of Taylor’s work in the earliest days of aviation. Taylor built the first aircraft engine used by the Wright brothers in the Wright Flyer . He was a vital contributor of mechanical skills in the building and maintaining of early Wright engines and airplanes. An unsu...

Episode 117 This episode kicks off with a recap of the 2022 Aerospace Maintenance Competition. John applauds the talents of the more than 350 participants . More than 800 people attended the event! Team and individuals earned awards and scholarships. More than 25 people also earned final interviews with companies in attendance to staff their maintenance crews. Keeping with the maintenance theme, G...

Episode 116 Todd Curtis has decided to return to the cockpit after decades and he’s sharing his experience. Whether you are new to aviation or are rusty after a brief or long time away from flying, this discussion is for you. Todd and John walk through the steps and how to have a safety mindset from day one. How to find the right instructor Having an honest health conversation with your doctor Get...

Episode 115 Greg Feith flies solo as he presents a roundup of recent fatal air crashes. The focus is on three accidents now under investigation that add to the escalation of fatal crashes this year. Hear preliminary details related to the crashes that involved a Cessna 340 in Georgia, a Cessna 337 in California, and a Diamond DA40. Greg surfaces the issues that could make these accidents important...

Episode 114 This episode is about facts and their impact on the work of air crash investigators. Building a complete backstory with facts leads to an effective investigation. Two recent accidents have few facts to work with. The available facts related to the 737 Max continue to be swept aside in favor of more headline-grabbing narratives. John and Greg continue their effort to keep the focus on f...

Episode 113 John, Greg and special guest Geoffrey Thomas offer the facts about Boeing and the 737 Max. They call out the sensationalism of the Netflix documentary “Downfall” and dig into facts that offer a more true picture of the airline and issues that led to the Lion Air and Ethiopian crashes. Geoff is a world-renowned multi-award-winning writer, author, and commentator and editor-in-chief at A...

Episode 112 Greg and John dive into the latest details emerging about the China Eastern Flight 5735 crash on March 21. They also cover the backstory and impact of the Aerospace Maintenance Competition coming April 25-28. The Chinese Government has allowed the NTSB to assist as technical advisors in investigating the China Eastern crash. Greg and John talk about what that means for getting to the f...

Episode 111 A recent helicopter crash in Texas took the lives of a student pilot and a flight instructor. Helicopter fleets are growing – are there enough highly qualified flight instructors to keep pace with the demand? Greg, John and Todd look at the initial information about this tragedy. They explore known safety issues with Robinson 44 helicopters. The tail boom appears to have been cut by th...

Episode 110 The ultimate tragedy of a runway crash at the Compton airport is that is never should have happened. For Greg, Todd and John, it’s a textbook example of what not do to as a pilot. They explore the many bad decisions made by the pilot of a vintage T28 Warbird that landed on top of a Cessna 152. As they review the information in the NTSB docket about the accident, Greg concludes, “there...

Episode 109 The investigation is ongoing related to a Dec 2021 fatal crash involving a Cessna 208B and a powered glider. Both pilots were fatally injured in the accident that appears to have happened when the glider was higher than permitted altitude. The impact separated the plane’s right wing. The Cessna was operated as a Part 135 cargo flight, and the powered paraglider was operated as a Part 1...

Episode 108 Efforts continue to get to the bottom of the crash of MH 370. Eight years after the crash, John and Todd are in touch with the people who are working to find the wreckage and uncover the facts. John shares the latest developments from a group in Australia advocating to move the search area to the south. Hear the evidence that points to the crash being a murder/suicide event. Sanctions...

Aviation is in the news and the headlines are tragic. The Ukraine crisis poses new risks for commercial aviation safety. Fatal general aviation accidents are on the rise. Netflix’s “Downfall – the Case Against Boeing” chooses emotion over facts. The FAA administrator’s sudden resignation adds to the turmoil. Greg, John and Todd share their insights into these and other current events. They recommi...

Episode 106 Dissecting the fatal crash of a Cirrus SR20 near Hobby Airport in Texas. This accident highlights the value of careful preflight planning. “Solid preflight planning leaves nothing to chance, and that would have made a difference here,” says John Goglia. While the pilot had experience with the aircraft, her experience landing at a high traffic airports is less clear. John and Greg wonde...

Episode 105 Greg and John are all over the news reports of the proposed merger of Frontier and Spirit airlines. Both companies have low customer satisfaction ratings. Will the combination create a larger poor performing airline or lead to safety improvements? The conversation covers the back stories of several past commercial airline mergers. They share inside knowledge of issues and crashes that...

Episode 104 The NTSB final report related to a Cessna 172 crash has Greg, John and Todd concluding that pilots and mechanics are being led to focus on the wrong safety issues. Chasing the wrong issues is stalling advances in aviation safety. This accident is cited as the basis for a NTSB safety recommendation to add active carbon monoxide detectors to all general aviation aircraft . However, the a...

Episode 103 United Airlines just launched its own flight school. Does United Aviate Academy offer a better option for would-be pilots than college aviation programs? Greg, John and Todd share first impressions. The program appears to be more expensive than other ways of earning pilot credentials and stops short of ATP certification. They talk about why the program may be better or worse than colle...

Episode 102 Even high-profile crashes can result in NTSB reports that miss important safety takeaways. The focus of this episode is the October 2002 crash that killed Senator Paul Wellstone and seven others. John, Greg, Todd and guest Dick Healing talk about facts that played a much greater role in the accident than the listed probable cause. “There is no question that contributing factors were po...

Episode 101 Greg, John and Todd have a lively conversation triggered by the recent announcement from Delta Airlines that pilots no longer need a college education. Will this impact aviation safety? “I know a lot of pilots that know aviation but don’t understand aviation,” says Greg. He adds that investigating the results of their poor decisions keeps him busy as a safety investigator. The question...

Episode 100 Episode 100 looks ahead to what’s next for Flight Safety Detectives. There’s a fresh new look and new segments to educate and entertain while doing the serious work of promoting aviation safety. Hear John and Greg talk about their plans for 2022. They offer updates on recent major accidents covered in earlier episodes: Pratt & Whitney engine failure investigation, Episode 67 TransAir 8...