Flight Safety Detectives

Pilot and maintenance failures combined to create a dramatic turboprop incident that became a criminal case. John Goglia and Greg Feith explore the incident with a Piaggio aircraft that lost an elevator on the first flight of the day and continued with operations.The air taxi flight crew landed and flew to next airport without performing a preflight inspection. John and Greg talk about the indications the pilots could have detected to recognize problems even if they could not visually inspect the elevators.John cites the NTSB investigation of the 2000 crash of an Emery Worldwide Airlines DC-8 as an example of how a pilot may be able to feel the difference in the control response when a flight control surface fails.The investigation found that maintenance done in response to mandatory AD 28 days before this incident had not been done properly. The nuts holding the elevators in pace were not torqued properly. The plane flew 128 hours with loose hardware.Adding to this incident, the head of maintenance of the charter company operating the plane took steps to hide evidence from the NTSB and FAA. A criminal investigation led to a fine that put the company out of business and a conviction for the head of maintenance.Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website.Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

13 Des 202335min

More money than brains? Todd, Greg, and John examine a fatal Bahamas helicopter crash where the pilots’ focus on what their billionaire boss wanted overrode operational discipline.The 2019 Agusta AW139 helicopter crash at sea killed both pilots and all five passengers. While the crew had flown the route on at least 10 previous occasions, this was their first night flight.Greg, Todd, and John raise many issues beyond the probable causes listed in the NTSB report:· Inadequate flight planning· Lack of a formal safety management system in the company that operated the helicopter· The long duty day of the flight crew“There were no mechanical issues. This is all about a lack of planning and poor decision making by the pilots,” John says.The helicopter CVR does not indicate that the pilots did any of the proper checks for IFR at night. They also were not monitoring their gauges, and seemed to misread the instruments. Fatigue may have been a factor, since the pilots were awakened to make the 2AM flight.John ends the show by encouraging pilots and aircraft operators to use flight risk assessment tools (FRAT) from the FAA and the NBAA to help prevent accidents.Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website.Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

6 Des 202343min

A drone and helicopter collide in midair as they cover a desert road race. The crash caused minor damage to the helicopter and major damage to the drone. Todd Curtis and John Goglia dissect the video and NTSB report of the incident involving a Aerospatiale AS350BA helicopter and a DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone.John and Todd focus on key safety issues that the NTSB did not raise as they examined the 2020 collision in Johnson Valley, California. Operating helicopters and drones in the same low altitude airspace created significant safety risks that neither pilot appeared to take into account.A video from the drone documents the midair collision. John and Todd share expert analysis of the safety issues revealed in the video. They find that both pilots made hazardous moves that were outside regulations.Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website. Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

29 Nov 202330min

Oil leaks don’t just happen. When they do, they should trigger a close look at the engine. John Goglia and Todd Curtis share this advice after digging into the fatal crash of a Cessna Centurion after the owner and his passenger made unscheduled repairs on the oil system.The experienced pilot and passenger lost oil in fight and landed to add more. Surprisingly, there is no evidence that they did any kind of inspection of the engine. Witnesses present when they took off again say they did not do an engine runup. They also reported hearing odd engine noises as the plane took off.Todd and John discuss how the decisions made by the pilot were the primary cause of this plane crash. Secondary to that was the in-flight engine failure experienced shortly after takeoff.Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website.Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

22 Nov 202321min

A pilot doing his first banner tow with a Piper PA25 crashed and died. Todd and John examine this devastating banner tow plane crash. They urge pilots to educate themselves about all types of flight operations.NTSB reports are a good resource, but more data is often available online. Images and videos taken by other pilots and the public and websites like FlightAware can help the effort to understand what is needed for aviation safety in all types of flight operations.The 2019 plane crash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the center of the episode happened to a new tow pilot who had less than an hour's worth of flight time towing a banner. Inexperience and a lack of training led to this aviation disaster.Banner towing has long been an attractive job for pilots looking to build flight hours. Unfortunately, accidents are common in towing operations. Todd and John offer options for new pilots to increase their understanding of the risks that come with banner towing and other types of commercial flight operation.Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website.Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

15 Nov 202323min

A former major league pitcher who had a Hall of Fame career died when doing stunt-type maneuvers in his plane. Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss Roy "Doc" Halladay’s risk-taking behavior that led to the November 2017 crash of the Icon A5 light sport aircraft he was piloting.The plane crash occurred when Halladay was executing aggressive maneuvers at low altitudes over the waters near Clearwater, Florida. The NTSB investigation showed that Halladay had drugs in his system that would have likely impaired his decision-making ability.John sums up Halladay’s actions as “absolutely crazy.” Todd notes that the bad decision making started long before he got into the cockpit that day.Pilots, mechanics, and others in the aviation community have a responsibility to act when others are making decisions or taking actions that put themselves and others at risk in the air. These actions may save lives and avoid aviation disasters.Related documents are available at https://flightsafetydetectives.com/major-league-pitcher-halladays-flight-stunts-lead-to-death-episode-190Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

8 Nov 202328min

The recent event where an off-duty airline pilot who was flying in an airplane jump seat allegedly tried to shut off the engines leads to a discussion of crimes in the air. John and Todd talk about several examples of criminal aviation disasters.In the October 2023 event, a Horizon Air Embraer E175 airliner carrying dozens of passengers from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco was endangered. An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot reported he had taken “magic mushrooms” 48 hours before the incident where he tried to disable the engines in flight.Todd and John compare this event to other events where pilots deliberately crashed aircraft. They contrast the U.S. policy of publishing official reports of criminal aviation events with the policies of other countries. They also discuss how practices and policies related to jump seat use have changed over time.Contributing to these disasters may be medical privacy laws. The pilot certification process now relies on self-reporting of medical issues. Since many conditions would disqualify an individual from flying, there is incentive to not report all issues. John argues that changes are needed that would both protect the flying public and the privacy and careers of pilots who may have medical issues. Related Documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website. Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

1 Nov 202327min

An experienced pilot and mechanic made risky decisions, causing a plane crash that killed himself and a passenger. Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the 2021 crash and the many decisions made that compromised aviation safety.The pilot was flying a recently purchased Piper PA24 Comanche that had been grounded for the previous 15 years. The accident pilot was an experienced and certified FAA mechanic. He had extensive experience flying Piper aircraft, but no significant experience flying the model of the accident aircraft.Todd and John question the decision-making process of the accident pilot. Although the engine was sputtering, he took off. Although he was an experienced mechanic, he apparently did not do a full inspection of the engine. He attempted the “impossible turn,” a u-turn back to the airport that almost always results in stalling the plane.John and Todd review the information in the NTSB report of the accident. They highlight the aviation safety practices that could have avoided this crash.Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website. Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 Okt 202330min