Flight Safety Detectives

Even highly experienced pilots can be overcome by severe weather. Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the fatal crash that took the life of famed test pilot Scott Crossfield. A thunderstorm boxed him…

A pilot in training paid with her life when a flight instructor chose a poor location to practice engine failure maneuvers. John and Todd review the evidence collected following the air crash in Cali…

Spatial disorientation can happen to any pilot. It led to the fatal crashes that killed John F Kennedy Jr and Kobe Bryant. John, Greg and Todd are joined by expert Andy Watson to talk about ways pilo…

The helicopter crash that killed musician Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry was primarily caused by improper maintenance. The Flight Safety Detectives share why they find fault with the NTSB assigning…

Rapid decision making and impressive aviator skills saved Harrison Ford from a deadly result in a 2015 air crash. The Flight Safety Detectives review the facts that show that Ford had a clear plan an…

Episode 146

A pilot lost engine power in his single engine plane shortly after takeoff. He did a controlled ditch into the Pacific. The plane is largely intact, yet the pilot and his passenger die. T…

More than 53 dogs being transported from New Orleans to Milwaukee had a bumpy ride when their cargo flight crashed on a golf course. This is a good news story with just a few minor injuries. John and…

"See and Avoid" is widely recognized as a method for avoiding collision. This accident shows that approach has limits.

The term "See and Avoid" is part of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Regula…

Did get-there-itis and lack of preflight planning lead to the crash of a Mooney M20J into a power line tower in Montgomery County, Maryland on November 27? The Flight Safety Detectives think so.

The …

Episode 142

The NTSB has issued an urgent aviation safety recommendation for all operators of DHC-3 Otters to conduct an immediate one-time inspection of the horizontal stabilizer actuator lock ring.…

Episode 141

The NTSB database has just 74 events involving suicide and the focus of this discussion is the only one that involves a passenger rather than a pilot. The event took place in 2000, when a…

Episode 140

A look inside the world of experimental aircraft is prompted by John Denver’s fatal crash 25 years ago. Denver was flying an experimental aircraft he had recently purchased. The non-stand…

Episode 139

A pilot in a Cessna 150 making a short trip in Australia got himself into trying circumstances that led to a crash into trees. This episode dissects the preplanning failures that doomed t…

Episode 138

Flight Safety Detectives examine the crash of a Sabreliner twin engine plane in Ironwood, Michigan. The pilots flew into severe weather and did not follow standard procedures to avoid en…

Episode 137

The investigation of an issue involving a RJ100 in Sweden is relevant to everyone who flies sophisticated aircraft. Specifically, this investigation revealed issues related to the high an…

Episode 136

Was the fatal crash of a Piper PA46-500TP airplane the result of a plane with unresolved maintenance issues or a pilot with insufficient skills? The Flight Safety Detectives find that the…

Episode 135

The investigation into a June 2022 Cessna 182G crash in Texas is ongoing. The Flight Safety Detectives share initial facts and offer safety insights.

“A mechanical malfunction is high on …

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 cras…

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…

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 …