Flight Safety Detectives

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...

Episode 99 Winter weather and questionable piloting have led to another series of aviation accidents. Greg and John look at the initial information and stress the importance of not flying beyond your skills and knowledge. One fatal crash took the life of their good friend Charlie Schneider, CEO of MYGOFLIGHT. They share the known details that led to the crash of his Cirrus SR22. They reflect on hi...

This episode opens with a recap of the recent ceremony where John received the National Aeronautic Association Distinguished Statesman of Aviation Award. The event recognized his many contributions to aviation. John, Greg and Todd review four recent aircraft accidents – three general aviation and one commercial. They offer initial analysis and the safety questions that should be answered during th...

Episode 97 A number of accidents happened Thanksgiving weekend, a trend that needs to be changed. Greg and John offer several flight safety tips for general aviation pilots planning holiday travel. Listen to make sure you’re planning for the safest trip possible. John and Greg cover the importance of preflight planning, factoring in weather en route, dealing with icing conditions and more. The Fli...

Episode 96 Safety training for the aviation community isn’t effective and needs an overhaul. Greg and John drive home this point by talking about the high rate of fatal accidents in November. Particular focus is on the accident that killed Blue Origin crew member Glen de Vries. “We’re not reaching pilots and the aviation community with effective safety training,” John says. Greg adds that people d...

Episode 95 Several accidents caused by icing reveal safety information that pilots need to know. As we head into a time when icing can be common, John, Greg and Todd want to be sure everyone avoids the mistakes other pilots have made. “Icing has greater impact on general aviation aircraft than commercial planes. It is important to be prepared for icing incidents,” Greg says. In this episode the Fl...

Episode 94 The conversation continues with Hoot Gibson. Gibson’s life in aviation started growing up and took him to the cockpit of Navy fighters, NASA space shuttles and many test and race aircraft. Hoot, John, Greg and Todd cover the many unique experiences of Gibson’s career. His experiences and lessons learned offer every pilot key takeaways. Hear Hoot narrate the experience of his five shuttl...

Episode 93 Hoot Gibson is the special guest for this discussion of space safety lessons that benefit all aspects of aviation. Gibson is a five-time space shuttle crew member and a professional pilot. He shares his experiences to offer insights into the importance of scrutinizing even the smallest issues and the value of training in preparing for flights of all kinds. Hoot, John, Greg and Todd disc...

Greg, John and Todd take a look at the NTSB report of a 2019 crash in Auburn Township, Ohio. They question the conclusion that the cause was spatial disorientation. Overall, the report lacks information to benefit air safety. They explore additional factors worthy of more detail than is found in the report: “Getthereitis” despite poor weather Pilot’s heart health Poor decision making Aircraft main...

Episode 91 Greg and John share takeaways from the recent National Business Aviation Association annual convention in Las Vegas. While there, they offered maintenance personnel a training session on the accident investigation process and the role they should play. The convention has Greg and John focused on the future of avionics, automations and other technology in aviation. Changes are coming, fo...

Episode 90 Don’t let an inadequate preflight inspection come back to haunt you. Simple issues can lead to serious accidents for general aviation pilots. Greg Feith, John Goglia and Jason Lukasik look at two accidents to show how preflight inspections can avoid crashes, injury and death. A Piper Seneca crash was attributed to missing cotter pins on the landing gear. Photos shows even more visual ev...

Episode 89 A Cessna 177RG Cardinal RG crash in September 2021 appears to be the result of poor maintenance and pilot error. Greg Feith, John Goglia and Jason Lukasik dive into key elements of the NTSB preliminary report. The oil analysis alone gives important insight into chronic engine maintenance issues that likely led to the crash. The pilot was at Lake Havasu to get fuel for a flight to Reno....

Episode 88 The Flight Safety Detectives offer a fresh analysis of the 2008 crash of a Lear Model 60 in Columbia, South Carolina. Travis Barker was one of two passengers who survived the crash that killed the flight crew and two passengers. Crew performance issues started long before the aircraft started takeoff. Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis share a minute-by-minute analysis. They uncove...

Episode 88 The Flight Safety Detectives offer a fresh analysis of the 2008 crash of a Lear Model 60 in Columbia, South Carolina. Travis Barker was one of two passengers who survived the crash that killed the flight crew and two passengers. Crew performance issues started long before the aircraft started takeoff. Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis share a minute-by-minute analysis. They uncove...

Episode 87 Several recent airplane crashes appear to be the result of rusty pilots not following pre-flight checklists and best practices. John, Greg and Todd talk about the difference between accidents that are caused by some anomaly and crashes that result from intentional or negligent actions. Initial information indicates that 2021 is rife with crashes. This episode examines emerging trends. T...

Episode 86 The NTSB has finished the investigation into a 2011 crash of a Cessna 421 but the Flight Safety Detectives have issues with the listed probable cause. Further investigation reveals a completely different root cause. Greg, John and Todd go through the details to reveal important aviation safety findings. While the NTSB cited the failure of right engine cam gears, missed was evidence that...