Flight Safety Detectives

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...

Episode 10 John and Greg explore what was said and what wasn’t said when Boeing executives recently spent two days on Capitol Hill testifying before congress. Their take: the hearings were an emotional platform for congressmen to point fingers, not an opportunity for fact finding. As always, John and Greg use the podcast format to go deeper than 30 second soundbites. They talk in detail about the...

Episode 9 The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) has released its final report regarding the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 and John and Greg are far from satisfied. One thing is clear to these aviation experts: the focus was on returning the plane over and over again to revenue service, rather than fixing known issues. In this episode, John and Greg focus on critical mainten...

Episode 8 John and Greg take listeners inside NTSB aircraft accident investigations. They use the case of Valujet Flight 592 to illustrate how the process works and the types of issues encountered.   The parties and technical experts involved can be forthcoming and not so helpful, with serious consequences. They also highlight how these investigations uncover the facts that can lead to everything...

Episode 7 Accidents and other issues created by distracted driving make headlines across the country. Prompted by listener questions, John and Greg talk about the issue of distractions and flight safety.   They share recent incidents and observations involving pilots, mechanics and line crews where distractions of cell phones, iPads and cockpit technology are creating room for mistakes.   Is “dist...

Episode 6 Pilot training and confidence is everything when it comes to safety in the air according to this week’s guest, Captain Chinar Shah. She’s a professional pilot, flying for more than 19 years,13 as a pilot in the airline ranks including a number of months in the Boeing 737 Max. Shah used to fly for Jet Airways in India. She converted her license in the U.S. with the FAA and she has seen al...

Episode 5 Flight safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia welcome Kathy Yodice, Managing Partner, Law Offices of Yodice Associates, for a lively discussion of aviation regulations and legalities.   An important theme is the role that maintenance and maintenance technicians play in airplane safety for both air carriers and general aviation. Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detec...

Episode 4 In their latest podcast (#4) Former NTSB Board Member John Goglia and former NTSB Lead Investigator Greg Feith dissect the recently released Boeing 737 MAX Safety recommendations issued by the NTSB. The Detectives criticize the recommendations because they task the FAA and aircraft manufacturers with “dumbing down” the latest generation commercial airplanes to make up for the incompetent...

Episode 3 "In the US we have the NTSB which is an independent investigative authority. Ethiopia does not have that. How is it that that they are going to be held accountable?" "Some preliminary information...indicates that the AoA vane (an exterior part that measures the plane's angle of attack) was in question - either it failed on takeoff or because of a possible bird strike.&quot...

Episode 2 "That was a brand new airplane. If they had a problem, why didn't they go back to Boeing for a brand new part?" "Many airlines today are outsourcing both line maintenance and their heavy base maintenance functions." "While the services can be outsourced, the accountability and and responsibility must remain with the operator!" Flight Safety Detectives John G...

Episode 1   Why would two guys with 100 years of flight safety experience between them want to dive back into the politics, the technology, the human factors and other aspects of the worldwide aviation industry? Because, often, it's a matter of life and death and billions of dollars are at stake.    In the debut episode, John Goglia and Greg Feith tell you why this podcast series is taking flight,...