Flight Safety Detectives

Episode 35 The Cessna P210N crash near Detroit, Michigan gets a close look in this episode. The National Transportation Safety Board recently released the accident final report and Greg and John layer on their analysis of the facts. On June 24, 2018 the accident led to the death of the pilot and his wife and serious injury to a 17-year-old son. While the NTSB report largely attributes the crash to...

Episode 34 Air safety does not begin and end with pilots. It is impacted by everyone who has a role with a plane, including maintenance personnel. Flight Safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia call for higher standards to be applied to all personnel whose jobs impact aviation safety. The Pilot Records Improvement Act of 1996 (PRIA) requires that air carriers evaluate information about each p...

Episode 33 Flight Safety Detectives listeners ask for insider details and John and Greg deliver! A theme in this wide-ranging discussion of questions received is the importance of discipline. A listener asked for the backstory in the NTSB investigation of Eastern Airlines Flight 980. Greg shares the details of the Jan. 1, 1985 crash and the 10 months of effort that led to him climbing a mountain i...

Episode 32 Instructions on how to use the oxygen mask is a mainstay of the airline safety briefing. With passengers now required to wear masks, does the mask go over the mask? The tried and true safety briefing needs to be revamped in light of COVID-19 prevention measures. Greg Feith and John Goglia look at standard safety protocols that are disrupted by COVID-19 precautions. They talk about what...

Episode 31 Greg and John are torqued! Too many accidents, too much pilot error and too little attention to safety lessons learned. Greg and John are not happy with the state of the industry and propose that manufacturers step in to make sure aircraft don’t wind up in the hands of airlines and pilots not equipped to operate safely. It is time to put safety over profits. This episode covers recent a...

Episode 30 Greg Feith takes us inside his experience as the NTSB investigator in charge (IIC) of the ValuJet Flight 592 investigation. John Goglia was also involved. Together they talk through the launch of that investigation and share many behind-the-scenes experiences. Creative procurement of resources needed A rental car that rolled into the water 3 am recovery of a wreckage “souvenir” at the h...

Episode 29 Flight Safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia look at the many costs associated with flight safety. Costs include dollars and lives. July is proving to be a deadly month in the skies. In the first 7 days there were 7 fatal accidents, several with multiple fatalities. As investigations begin, John and Greg look at common potential factors like weather, mechanical issues, fuel suppl...

Episode 28 Flight Safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia answer listener questions in this lively episode that shares details of air crash investigations. Get a rare look inside the NTSB command center and on-scene investigations. The NTSB bell rings signaling an air crash. What’s next? How does a systemic investigation happen amid the chaos of an accident scene? What are the qualifications...

Episode 27 Air crash investigators Greg Feith and John Goglia have seen too often that the safety of general aviation aircraft can be compromised by lack of maintenance. Their special guest this week has an hourly cost maintenance program to address that. PistonPower™ is a comprehensive protection program for piston aircraft. Guest Remi Szymanski, Vice President for Business Development, discusses...

Episode 26 Flight Safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia tap their network of aviation experts in this episode that focuses on pilots. Brian Schiff, a pilot with more than 40 years of experience in the cockpit, is the special guest. Schiff is a commercial pilot and flight instructor who is recognized for his enthusiasm and ability to teach in way that simplifies complex procedures and concep...

Episode 25 COVID-19 requires airports and airlines to rethink procedures. Air travel involves crowds and shared spaces. Cleaning and other processes from curb to curb need to be adapted to ensure the safety of the flying public. Lisa Kay, COO Environmental Health Services Group, NV5 , leads a team that works with organizations to ensure cleaning procedures are done properly based on CDC, EPA and o...

Episode 24 Most aircraft are not getting used as often due to coronavirus-related restrictions. The Flight Safety Detectives explore the safety issues created by parking and storing airplanes of all sizes.   Airplanes are machines that like to be used. Counter-intuitively, there is actually greater potential for things to break with lack of use.   Greg and John bring two experts into the conversat...

Episode 23 As the world looks to get back on track, front and center is the need to maintain protections to prevent the spread of coronavirus. This is a challenge for the aviation industry that does not yet have a clear answer. Greg, John and guest Dr. Joe Kravitz explore some options. They outline what is known about preventing the spread of viruses and the very real challenges of ensuring safety...

Episode 22 Greg and John take a deep dive into the accident investigation process related to engines with guest Jason Lukasik, president of JL2 Aviation Consultants in Eagle River, Alaska. Jason shares his experiences in two roles. He was the air safety representative for an engine manufacturer. He also served with the FAA. He shares first-hand accounts of how engines are assessed and analyzed fro...

Episode 21 NTSB and FAA investigators are not deemed “essential” for the purposes of coronavirus guidance. That’s a huge concern for John and Greg as well as special guest Jason Lukasik, president of JL2 Aviation Consultants in Eagle River, Alaska. Investigations of new accidents are all but on hold. Only basic information is being collected as personnel work from home. This even though investigat...

Episode 20 Parked airplanes, photos courtesy of Ishrion Aviation The corona virus pandemic will impact all aspects of aviation. Will the industry bounce back? Will it look the same? The flying public will have increased safety concerns and expectations. Airlines will have to deal with impacts on planes, crews and procedures. John and Greg explore these implications and much more. Some predictions:...

Episode 19 John Goglia, center, with Tamarack’s Jacob Klinginsmith (left) and Nick Guida Guests Nick Guida and Jacob Klinginsmith from Tamarack Aerospace Group talk about the company’s patented active winglets. Installed now on 100 Citation Jets, the winglets have proven to offer better climb, more range, and less fuel burn. Active Winglets add up to 33 percent fuel savings on general aviation air...

Episode 18 Loretta Alkalay , a retired regional counsel for the FAA Eastern Region, is known as the “drone queen” for her passion as a drone user. She is this episode’s special guest as John and Greg explore all things drone. Drones are an exciting way to get kids, and especially girls, involved in aviation at a time when the industry needs to build a pipeline of new talent. However, their use for...

Episode 17 The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General’s office recently issued a scathing report about failures in Southwest Airlines’ safety practices and culture . The report also criticizes the Federal Aviation Administration’s inspectors and leaders assigned to monitor Southwest for lax and ineffective safety oversight of the airline. John and Greg discuss the issues found at Southwe...

Episode 16 The fatal Jan. 26, 2020, Sikorsky Helicopter Crash near Calabasas, California is the latest high-profile NTSB investigation. John and Greg use the unfortunate tragedy to look at the facts known so far and also to explain the NTSB investigative process. They give listeners behind the scenes insight into what happens from the first moments after an accident. John and Greg share examples f...

Episode 15   They have dissected the more than 300 pages of the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) final report on Lion Air Flight 610 and John and Greg reach a very different conclusion. The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was not the root cause, flight crew deficiencies are more likely the root cause.   Once again, John and Greg stick to the facts p...

Episode 14 Greg and John do a moment by moment analysis of the events leading up to the crash of Lion Air Flight 610. They share their takeaways following months of dissecting the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) final report regarding the crash. They put the facts in context – facts listed in the report as well as details that are missing. The MCAS system that is widely...

Episode 13 The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) final report regarding the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 continues to get a lot of media attention. Moving away from soundbites, John and Greg examine the actual words and facts found in the report and call out numerous false narratives. Chaos in the cockpit? The report mentions that the sound of pages being turned in the ope...

Episode 12 John and Greg share observations from their recent visit to Boeing headquarters. During executive briefings they asked the same tough questions they pose in their podcasts, sometimes stumping the experts. They share how the visit validated the observations they have shared about the LionAir and Ethiopian Airline crashes. They also found more details that are important to finding the ans...

Episode 11 The holiday season is a busy time for air travel. John and Greg advise that patience and planning can minimize the stress of holiday travel and help you arrive safely. Give yourself plenty of extra time Be sure your bags don’t have any prohibited items and meet size and weight limits Review current TSA rules so you can get through security smoothly Once on the plane, review the safety i...