Revisiting the Crash Scene of American Eagle Flight 4184
Episode 44 This episode starts when Greg got the call about the tragic crash of American Eagle Flight 4184. He walks through the first week of responding to the accident scene as the NTSB Investigator in Charge. Insights: First crash site where NTSB biohazard protocols were applied How “why” questions lead to thorough on-scene information gathering Roles of the various teams and parties involved in the investigation process Importance of the field notes process The story told by debris patterns John and Greg share their expertise on the workings of plane de-icing systems. Listeners get an inside look at how weather, aircraft operation and aircraft certification emerged as leading factors in the crash. Flight Safety Detectives is sponsored by Avemco Insurance, an aviation insurance company that--like the detectives--values training and safety as means to ensure safe flying for all. 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.
4 Nov 20201h 4min
NTSB Still Not Onsite, CO Pilot Makes Up the Rules
Episode 43 The NTSB is still not doing onsite accident investigations...A pilot landing in Colorado decides to ignore the rules...Long-term health impacts of COVID could impact pilots, mechanics and flight attendants...Greg and John focus on these topics in their latest episode. A recent accident in Buffalo prompted two senators to write a letter to the NTSB asking for an onsite investigation. The Board responded that they are not visiting accident scenes and deferred to the FAA for on-scene information gathering. Greg and John continue to call on the NTSB to do its mandated job. They discuss the impact on aviation safety now and into the future. This episode also analyzes a midair collision involving a Beech A36 Bonanza and a Robinson R44 Raven II in 2018 at Northern Colorado Regional Airport. The Beech pilot chose to set aside the rules and flew over the Robinson with disastrous results. They wrap up with a discussion of COVID. People with even minor cases are reporting loss of taste and brain fog. Sense of smell is important to just about every aviation role on the ground 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.
28 Okt 202050min
Is the NTSB Obsolete?
Episode 42 The NTSB is considered a non-essential service and on-site accident investigations have been suspended during COVID-19. With no one on site to gather facts and evidence, John and Greg ask if the NTSB is needed anymore. Even before the pandemic, the agency had an increasing case backlog. Reports that have been issued recently are incomplete and offer scant safety insight. John and Greg find the recent NTSB reports inadequate to identify risks and determine effective mitigation. The reports lack the evidence to support the stated probable causes and offer little safety insight. As John and Greg celebrate the one-year anniversary of Flight Safety Detectives, they use their straight-talking platform to call out the agency they have both proudly served for failing to do its job. 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.
14 Okt 202057min
Episode 41 - End of a Long Day and Weather Add Up to Disaster
Greg and John examine the transcript of the cockpit voice recorder from American Flight 1420, a MD-80 that crashed at Little Rock Airport in 1999. Greg served as the NTSB investigator in charge (IIC) and John was part of the headquarters support team. The 30-min recording reveals the pilots were racing the weather as well as fatigue from a long workday. John and Greg walk through the conversation reflected in the recording, highlighting how different decisions could have changed the deadly outcome. They offer insights beyond the words of the transcript. What isn’t said and done is as compelling as what is documented in the CVR. Greg and John discuss the process of looking at the aftermath to determine the cause and what could be learned. Findings led to checklist and operational procedures changes as well as configuration updates at the Little Rock airport. 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.
7 Okt 20201h 24min
Assumptions and Expectations Can Kill
Episode 40 Assumptions and expectations in all roles in aviation often lead to the most serious accidents. John and Greg share anecdotes that illustrate the point. This is a trying time for air travel and air safety. Greg and John are frustrated by the growing number of accidents that are not being investigated by either the NTSB or FAA. They wonder out loud why investigators, who have ample biohazard training, are not able to visit accident scenes to do their job? Special focus is on American Flight 1420, a MD-80 that crashed at Little Rock Airport in 1999. Greg served as the NTSB investigator in charge (IIC) and John was part of the headquarters support team. Listen to this wind up to Episode 41, which will dissect the cockpit voice recorder recovered from the Flight 1420 crash site. 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.
30 Sep 20201h 3min
Accident Shows Importance of Pilot and Mechanic Communication
Episode 39 John and Greg often make the point that flight safety involves both hangar and cockpit. This episode illustrates the point. They walk through an accident involving a Cessna 177 Cardinal. The plane was in for annual maintenance. Although the mechanic had signed off in the logbook, the final run up was not completed before the pilot retrieved the plane. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff. The investigation found no oil left in the engine. A loose oil cooler line suspected. John and Greg highlight the need for mechanic and pilot to share information. Each individually has due diligence responsibilities as well as a shared responsibility to communicate. This episode includes a big announcement. Avemco Insurance Company has joined the Flight Safety Detectives team as a primary sponsor! 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.
23 Sep 202048min
Merion Air Disaster Revisited
Episode 38 When a Piper Aerostar collided in mid-air with a Bell 412 helicopter over an elementary school in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, in 1991 Greg Feith was among the first investigators on the scene. Greg and John revisit the investigation to highlight NTSB findings that are relevant for pilots today. The accident started the NTSB discussion and definition of aeronautical decision making. ADM is an important component of safe flying, in the cockpit and the hangar. In the 1991 accident, five people in both aircraft were killed, including United States Senator John Heinz. Two school children on the ground were also killed by falling debris. More people on the ground were injured. Greg describes the heartbreaking scene as well as the challenges of recovering evidence from a large debris field. Calling this a tragic event resulting from a “series of simple errors,” Greg talks about the role of crew experience, pilot communication and other notable factors. Image from the NTSB accident report. Episode Photo: Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - N104RM 1980 Piper AEROSTAR 601P C/N 61P07568063375, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58210408 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.
16 Sep 202052min
Minute-by-Minute Examination of ValuJet Flight 592's Electronic Witness
Episode 37 The cockpit voice recorder is called the “electronic witness” by crash investigators. In this episode, John and Greg walk through the CVR recovered during the investigation of ValuJet Flight 592 that crashed in the Everglades. The CVR captures conversations. It also documents ambient noises that offer clues, especially when aligned with information from the flight data recorder. Greg and John offer insight into what was learned from the CVR. Routine discussions quickly changed with the call of “fire” at 14:10. The recording shows rapid-fire issues unfolding. It chillingly shows that all on board seem to have succumbed to smoke asphyxiation before the plane crashed. This second-by-second analysis expands on Episode 30 addressing listener questions and interest in detailed CVR analysis. Photo: NTSB photo of recovered Flight Safety Recorder 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.
9 Sep 20201h 9min
