Flight Safety Detectives
Episodes
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...
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, highligh...
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 ...
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 l...
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...
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 lea...
A panel discussion from the campus of Vaughn College explores many aspects of a successful career in aviation. From formal education to soft skills, Greg, John and their guests explore the factors that lead to success.
Students discuss their plans and the options they are exploring to start their careers. Also featured are professor Capt. Emerson Allen, experienced pilot Capt. Chinar Shaw, and management department chair D...
The Cessna P210N crash near Detroit, Michigan gets a close look in this episode. The National Transportation Safety Board recently released the accident final report and Greg and John layer on their analysis of the facts.
On June 24, 2018 the accident led to the death of the pilot and his wife and serious injury to a 17-year-old son. While the NTSB report largely attributes the crash to lack of fuel, John and Greg raise se...
Episode 34
Air safety does not begin and end with pilots. It is impacted by everyone who has a role with a plane, including maintenance personnel. Flight Safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia call for higher standards to be applied to all personnel whose jobs impact aviation safety.
The Pilot Records Improvement Act of 1996 (PRIA) requires that air carriers evaluate information about each pilot’s training, experience, qualif...
Episode 33
Flight Safety Detectives listeners ask for insider details and John and Greg deliver! A theme in this wide-ranging discussion of questions received is the importance of discipline.
A listener asked for the backstory in the NTSB investigation of Eastern Airlines Flight 980. Greg shares the details of the Jan. 1, 1985 crash and the 10 months of effort that led to him climbing a mountain in search of the cockpit and flight ...
Instructions on how to use the oxygen mask is a mainstay of the airline safety briefing. With passengers now required to wear masks, does the mask go over the mask?
The tried and true safety briefing needs to be revamped in light of COVID-19 prevention measures.
Greg Feith and John Goglia look at standard safety protocols that are disrupted by COVID-19 precautions. They talk about what it will mean for airlines to keep pa...
Greg and John are torqued! Too many accidents, too much pilot error and too little attention to safety lessons learned.
Greg and John are not happy with the state of the industry and propose that manufacturers step in to make sure aircraft don’t wind up in the hands of airlines and pilots not equipped to operate safely. It is time to put safety over profits.
This episode covers recent accidents, including a plane piloted by...
Greg Feith takes us inside his experience as the NTSB investigator in charge (IIC) of the ValuJet Flight 592 investigation. John Goglia was also involved. Together they talk through the launch of that investigation and share many behind-the-scenes experiences.
Flight Safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia look at the many costs associated with flight safety. Costs include dollars and lives.
July is proving to be a deadly month in the skies. In the first 7 days there were 7 fatal accidents, several with multiple fatalities. As investigations begin, John and Greg look at common potential factors like weather, mechanical issues, fuel supply and more.
They shed light on a new f...
Flight Safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia answer listener questions in this lively episode that shares details of air crash investigations. Get a rare look inside the NTSB command center and on-scene investigations.
Air crash investigators Greg Feith and John Goglia have seen too often that the safety of general aviation aircraft can be compromised by lack of maintenance. Their special guest this week has an hourly cost maintenance program to address that.
PistonPower™ is a comprehensive protection program for piston aircraft. Guest Remi Szymanski, Vice President for Business Development, discusses how the program works. With a fixed...
Flight Safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia tap their network of aviation experts in this episode that focuses on pilots. Brian Schiff, a pilot with more than 40 years of experience in the cockpit, is the special guest.
Schiff is a commercial pilot and flight instructor who is recognized for his enthusiasm and ability to teach in way that simplifies complex procedures and concepts. He is the creator of a webinar ...
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 other guidance. She talks with Greg an...
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 of crew members and passengers in ai...