Flight Safety Detectives

Episode 134 Poor decision-making by the pilot is showcased in the examination of a Piper PA-24 crash in Angel Fire, New Mexico. The Flight Safety Detectives find that the NTSB report of this air crash provides helpful information and findings that every pilot can learn from. Greg, John and Todd review the facts, conditions and circumstances of the accident to amplify the role of the pilot’s decisi...

Episode 133 An accident involving a Hughes 269C helicopter demonstrates the lack of depth in accidents attributed to maintenance errors. Once again, there is no analysis on the human factors involved among maintenance personnel. The NTSB probable cause for this air crash points to an improperly installed mounting bracket on the engine. The supporting details and aviation insights are lacking. “My...

Episode 132 FAA Advisory Circular 60-22 just may save your life. The document looks at aeronautical decision making and five hazardous attitudes. In the cockpit, on the hangar floor and in life, the Flight Safety Detectives say this information provides critical insight for everyone in aviation. Greg, John and Todd use a Cirrus SR 22 air crash in Midland, Texas to illustrate how poor decision-maki...

Episode 131 Continuing the discussion started in Episode 128 , the deficiencies of the NTSB report of a plane crash in Palo Alto are laid out. John, Greg, and Todd conclude that the report actually contributes to the problem of inaccurate data leading to time and money being spent on the wrong aviation safety issues. Estimates are that more than 50 percent of NTSB reports are inaccurate, incorrect...

Episode 130 Ever wonder how to get details on aviation accidents? You may be surprised to learn that many incidents don’t get added to the NTSB online database. The Flight Safety Detectives share how they find aviation incident information, from basic Google searches to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. “Most people don’t realize that many accidents are investigated by the FAA, not the N...

Episode 129 A look at the broad community of support available to today’s general aviation pilots. Todd is discovering rich resources that are helpful to every pilot as he returns to the cockpit after many years. “Flight instructors are a wealth of knowledge, but pilots still need more,” says Todd. He and John discuss several important resources: Aviation-specific weather available 24/7/365, forec...

Episode 128 The NTSB report of a 2010 Cessna 310R air crash in Palo Alto, California gets mixed reviews. Todd’s impressed by a sound study used to recreate the flight path, and John finds lots of detail in the examination of the wreckage, engine and prop. The positive first impression falls apart when Greg highlights missing details. The report does not answer many questions, including: Appropriat...

Episode 127 A look beyond the NTSB documentation of a Cessna 421C crash in Florida. Greg and John review the many important “whys’ not answered in the report. Why did the pilot not properly follow procedures to handle engine failure despite completing a training program just 90 days earlier? Why was a pilot who had recently completed a certified training program so ill prepared for handle an engin...

Episode 126 Poor pilot training is a central cause of a Cessna 421C crash in Florida. The NTSB report documents the crash, but misses the opportunity to fully analyze the training failures. With the number of accidents that involve training issues on the rise, the Flight Safety Detectives dig into this accident to share important safety takeaways. “The good news is that pilot training quality issu...

Episode 125 You never know what you will learn at the Avemco Insurance booth! John, Greg and Todd are at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh . A conversation with a pilot and listener revealed a story of an air disaster averted that the Flight Safety Detectives had to share. Hear about Heather’s flight that resulted in a damaged prop and landing gear. “I caption this story, ‘Am I really ready,’” says Greg. “It...

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...