Flight Safety Detectives

The perception of aviation safety risk is much higher than the actual data. Safety data expert Mike Borfitz helps John Goglia and Todd Curtis look at how misleading data is used to support misleading theories about the Air India 787 and other high-profile aviation disasters.

John and Mike highlight issues with reporting and documents related to the Air India accident. Learn the inside story on why some official-looking reports are i...

A look at the facts provided in the NTSB preliminary accident report on the November 4, 2025, crash of a UPS MD-11F in Louisville, Kentucky. John Goglia, Todd Curtis and Greg Feith share their insider perspectives as they examine the details of this fatal plane crash.

Many online commentators have speculated on the cause of the crash and other details of the accident, only to be proven wrong by the facts provided by the NTSB. 

The ac...

Breaking news! The FAA has made significant changes to the policy on reporting Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). UAP reports generated by air traffic controllers will use the acronym UAP instead of UFO, and controllers are required to provide specific information about the UAP in their reports.

Also in this episode, Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss two 2025 fatal accidents in which pilot medical conditions may have been an ...

This recording of a livestream event covers many aviation safety topics, from designing aircraft for safety to mental health support for industry professionals to passenger responsibilities. Hear Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis tackle viewer questions with insight and candor!

Among the topics covered:

• Biennial flight reviews
• Mental health in the cockpit and in the hangar
• Testing for certificated pilots
• A preflight checklist ...

In this 300th episode of the Flight Safety Detectives podcast, Greg Feith, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia welcome special guest Sarah MacLeod, executive director of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA). Maintenance issues get the spotlight, including how maintenance professionals and aircraft operators are challenged to understand how FAA maintenance regulations and standards apply to them.

MacLeod is a vocal advocate fo...

Greg Feith, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia provide critical insights into an October 1, 2025, ground collision at LaGuardia Airport between two taxiing regional airliners. The collision caused serious damage to both planes operated by Delta Connection. 

The NTSB has not yet provided a preliminary report but the detectives gather details that offer initial insights. John has extensive experience as a mechanic at LaGuardia and shares hi...

A pilot who was attempting to satisfy FAA requirements for flying at night was killed in another preventable plane crash. The NTSB report of this 2018 high-energy impact into the ocean leaves several key questions unanswered.

The NTSB lists a probable cause that the Flight Safety Detectives just can’t support. They add this to a list of insufficient NTSB reports published in the last few years.

The pilot in command was flying at nigh...

A mission to collect crocodile eggs in Australia went horribly wrong after a series of errors. A R44 helicopter ran out of fuel and the pilot had to release an external sling carrying the person collecting the eggs, killing that person and injuring the pilot.

The helicopter was one of a group of helicopters participating in a reality show. The accident pilot passed on the opportunity to refuel on the way to the egg-collecting area, ...

In this recording of the first Flight Safety Detectives live stream, viewer questions take John Goglia, Todd Curtis and Greg Feith on a deep dive onto aviation safety headlines. Audience questions help bring forward the latest developments in the investigations of the Air India crash, Washington National crash, reports of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) and much more.

• Why the public will never get full disclosure of the A...

Deferring maintenance can be deadly. The July 2024 fatal crash of a twin-engine Beechcraft Duke, which killed the pilot and both passengers, provides the perfect case to make this point. 

The aircraft had been idle for several months and had been exposed to weather including snow. The pilot was flying himself and his two passengers from upstate New York to Ohio. He did so despite airworthiness issues that included visible landing ge...

Spotlight on the September 2024 fatal crash involving an Evolution Revo light sport weight shift aircraft (LSA). A CFI and student pilot were killed when the aircraft's wings folded and it entered a steep dive.

Todd Curtis and John Goglia explore questions not answered in the recently released NTSB report. How or why did the CFI miss the checklist item to attach a key support cable? Had the aircraft recently been transported? Was wo...

Calling out inappropriate CFI behavior! John and Todd dig into the details of a fatal September 2023 accident involving a night training flight. The student's regular instructor was not available, and this was the first training with a different CFI.

The CFI’s actions were unprofessional and inappropriate. He uploaded posts to Snapchat before and during the flight. 

In a post uploaded prior to the flight, the CFI complained about how...

Viewer questions lead to continued discussion in Episode 288 about a fleet of unknown drones that violated FAA regulations by flying near an airliner for an hour. John Goglia and Todd Curtis provide additional insights.

Would cameras in the cockpit be helpful? Probably not. Advances in flight data recorder technology have allowed flight data recorders to track over a thousand inputs about the state of the aircraft, including most of...

John Goglia, Todd Curtis, and Greg Feith discuss the details of a fatal R44 helicopter crash in Australia that involved a pilot who had been drinking and had suspected mental health issues. The pilot took off without permission and made several low-level passes over the city before crashing into a hotel. 

The ATSB accident investigation report included a detailed analysis of the flight and of the helicopter wreckage, but didn't prov...

What’s the latest with Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370)? The 777 disappeared over 11 years ago. John Goglia and Todd Curtis provide the latest details. 

They also look at a 2023 crash of a Robinson R22 helicopter in rural Australia. The evening flight ended in tragedy when the pilot was killed when the helicopter crashed into trees at about 88 knots.

The helicopter was not equipped for night flying and lacked an artificial horizo...

August in flight safety: at least 40 reportable events in just 12 days. The Flight Safety Detectives have reason to believe the number of events is even higher.

Worse, the NTSB is putting out inadequate reports. They often provide the obvious cause and do not dig in to find the root cause. Significant questions are left with no answers. Greg Feith notes every accident has a safety lesson to learn.

The NTSB preliminary report for a fa...

The investigation continues into two unusual high-altitude encounters initially described as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drone sightings. Information gathered since the Flight Safety Detectives’ first look at this incident has made these strange events seem like unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) incidents.

In December 2024, a Delta 767 crew reported being shadowed for over an hour at 34,000 feet by multiple flashing red-...

A Cirrus SR22T in North Carolina killed the pilot and his entire family. The known details of this July 2025 crash raise serious questions about pilot decisions throughout the flight.

The pilot was flying from Florida to North Carolina and ran into trouble early in the trip. The plane experienced electrical problems that worsened throughout the trip. Despite having opportunities to land at several airports, the pilot continued. The ...

The NTSB just finished a 3-day hearing about the fatal January 2025 midair collision between an airliner and a U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River. Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis tuned in and share their takeaways.

The hearing covered many issues, particularly the role that FAA and Army procedures and systems played in the crash. They credit NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and Member Todd Inman with assertive questionin...