Flight Safety Detectives

Episode 85 The pilot and six passengers were injured when a Cape Air Cessna 402 crashed just past the runway of Provincetown Municipal Airport (PVC) in Massachusetts on Sept 9. Information is just starting to be collected but Greg, John and Todd already see key takeaways to benefit every pilot. The NTSB has launched an investigation. Questions to look at include the role of weather – did water on...

Episode 84 Ignore that seemingly mundane safety bulletin at your own peril. John, Greg and guest Jason Lukasik, president of JL2 Aviation Consultants and former FAA inspector, talk about the importance of knowing and acting on all levels of service instructions. Three levels of service instructions are routinely issued for aircraft. Service letters are generally informational. Service Bulletins as...

Episode 83 Guest Jonathan Rupprecht of Rupprecht Law joins John and Todd for a discussion of a lawsuit related to recent FAA rulemaking involving drones. The new rule effectively puts drone pilots under surveillance and create significant limits on use. Jonathan discusses his work with Tyler Brennan and RaceDayQuads to petition the FAA to reconsider the remote ID rule . The lawsuit is seeking to s...

Episode 82 USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737-300, collided with SkyWest Flight 5569, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft, upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport in Feb.1991. John led the machinist’s union investigation and discusses the chain of events that led to this accident. The air traffic local controller was distracted by a series of abnormalities when Flight 1493...

Episode 81 Greg was the investigator in charge of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation of Korean Air Flight 801. He shares backstories not in the report to add to understanding of the accident and aftermath. Flight 801 crashed on August 6, 1997, killing 229of the 254 people aboard. The aircraft crashed on Nimitz Hill in Guam while on approach to the airport. The NTSB final report...

Episode 80 Oshkosh 2021 was an adventure! More than 600,000 people and 10,000 planes were onsite. Greg and John took it all in and share the highlights. The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital was a special exhibit. John had worked on the plane when it was in service for an airline. The Flying Eye Hospital is a state-of-the-art teaching facility complete with operating room, classroom and recovery room. Par...

Episode 79 TWA Flight 514 crashed into Mount Weather in Virginia in 1974 and changed aviation safety forever. This accident led to the creation of the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). The TWA 727 crash was due in part to ambiguous information provided to the crew. As a result of the accident, the FAA and NASA created ASRS. The ASRS lets aviation system users contribute lessons and safety i...

Episode 78 This conversation covers emerging information about Transair Flight 810. The plane crashed in the ocean on July 2 shortly after takeoff from Honolulu. John, Greg and Todd raise a series of questions important to the investigation: Air traffic control handling of the incident Flight path after the engine failure Engine history and maintenance Safety performance of cockpit seats and harne...

Episode 77 The number of serious aircraft accidents is on the upswing. Greg, John and Todd talk about the accumulating numbers and wonder if COVID shutdowns have led to rusty pilot skills. The July 2 accident in Hawaii also leads to reflection on the July 2, 1994 crash of USAir Flight 1016. Greg and John were both involved. They offer insight to what investigators may already be doing. They also c...

Episode 76 Greg and John discuss breaking news of a 737 crash in Hawaii on July 2. A Boeing 737 cargo plane crashed off the coast of Hawaii after experiencing engine trouble. The aircraft departed Honolulu airport but went down in the water soon after taking off. The Coast Guard rescued both pilots from the sea. The pilot reported one engine out and second very hot. John and Greg say the prelimina...

Episode 75 This episode focuses on the US Navy report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). Greg, John and Todd talk about the issues covered in the report from the perspective of flight safety. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued the Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena on June 25. The Navy videos confirmed to be authentic by the US government are part of...

Episode 74 Todd Curtis of airsafe.com joins John and Greg for a look at the alarming rise in unruly passenger behavior on flights. Fistfights, attempts to open cabin doors and more are disrupting flights. They outline the federal rules and regulations in play as well as airline policies to attempt to keep everyone on board safe. Offenders are prosecuted in federal courts and risk federal prison. A...

Episode 73 Airports are humming again with COVID restrictions being lifted. That has John and Greg talking about commercial airline safety. The focus of this episode is maintenance lessons learned from the 1979 American Airlines DC10 accident in Chicago . Greg was just coming on board NTSB when the investigation began and John knows several of the key players involved. The DC10 involved had recent...

Episode 72 Rebecca Lutte from University of Nebraska and Cassandra Bosco of TailWinds Communications Inc visit to talk about attracting more people to careers in aviation. Special focus is closing gender gaps and access for underserved communities. Wide-ranging programs and resources are highlighted. Many organizations are working on efforts to create and sustain interest in aviation industry care...

Episode 71 This special episode celebrates the legacy of Charlie Taylor as the father if aircraft maintenance. Taylor built the first aircraft engine used by the Wright brothers in the Wright Flyer. He set the professional standards followed by professional aircraft mechanics today. Special guests are: Ken Mactiernan, Director at the Aircraft Maintenance Technicians Association David Supplee, Pres...

Episode 70 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students get real about their school and their education. Hear how COVID and online learning impacted them. Be prepared to be wowed by their passion for aviation! John and Greg talk about the many opportunities for people with the skills taught at ERAU – in aviation as well as other fields. They talk about current needs as well as what the future mig...

Episode 69 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University masters students share details from their research into safety issues in aviation. Greg and John make connections between the research and their own experiences. They go in depth on the issue of carry-on bags in cases of aircraft evacuation. Research has generated quantitative data on how passengers impact safety when they avoid the advice to leave c...

Episode 68 Live from the campus of Embry-Riddle in Daytona, Florida! John, Greg and guest Bob Joyce talk about the focus on safety, quality and professionalism in all aspects of the university. The curriculum at Embry-Riddle covers the operation, engineering, research, manufacturing, marketing, and management of modern aircraft and the systems that support them. Bob Joyce is the university’s direc...

Episode 67 The United Airlines engine failure is back in the news. Service bulletins and/or airworthiness directives may be issued soon. Investigation of fire suppression issues continue. Three months after the accident, issues related to crew performance are just surfacing. John and Greg catch listeners up on the investigation, how it is illustrating NTSB shortcomings, and the need for the FAA to...

Episode 66 The NTSB preliminary report of a March 27 helicopter crash in Alaska that killed five people sheds little light on the cause. John, Greg, and guest Jason Lukasik explore the many factors that could have contributed to the fatal accident. The onsite inspection is the most important part of the investigation. In this case, the investigation is stalled by poor weather conditions. Speaking...

Episode 65 Mandated inspections are being performed on Piper PA28 aircraft based on airworthiness directive AD 2020-26-16 . The Flight Safety Detectives offer an update on progress. Listen for what to do and what not to do for affected aircraft. Jason Lukasik, president of JL2 Aviation Consultants and former FAA inspector, returns to share preliminary data collected. The cracking issue that prompt...

Episode 64 The Federal Aviation Administration took a hit as Congress investigated issues with the 737 Max. What needs to be done to rebuild the FAA’s worldwide stature? How will they regain trust in their certification process? Guest is Sandy Murdock who served as FAA Chief Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for all rulemaking, environmental, acquisition, personnel, and ethical and litigation matter...

Episode 63 Crew resource management (CRM) and safety management systems (SMS) get the spotlight in this discussion. These systems help build safety into every flight. Special guest is listener Amy Wright, a self-professed “safety nerd” who says she gets “out of breath with excitement” talking about quality processes and safety procedures. Hear about the benefits of well-crafted processes in aviati...

Episode 62 Catastrophe averted? A Frontier A320 Airbus was set to take off from Nashville when a passenger noticed the deicing looked strange. He alerted the flight crew to the green liquid sitting on top of ice and snow on the wings. John and Greg share the details of what may have happened, going beyond news coverage of the incident . They offer their insider knowledge of deicing procedures. Amo...

Episode 61 Discussion of the United Airlines 777 engine explosion continues with guest Mike Borfitz. The focus is the three systems that make up the engine cowling. At the initial NTSB hearing, the chairman was pointed in saying that the recent event was technically a contained engine failure. Yet, most industry experts say the evidence points to an uncontained failure. Borfitz is an FAA designate...