How Not to Deice a Plane & UA 777 Updates

Episode 62

Catastrophe averted? A Frontier A320 Airbus was set to take off from Nashville when a passenger noticed the deicing looked strange. He alerted the flight crew to the green liquid sitting on top of ice and snow on the wings.

John and Greg share the details of what may have happened, going beyond news coverage of the incident. They offer their insider knowledge of deicing procedures.

Among the insights:

• Deicing is extremely expensive for airlines


• Why some flight crews like to avoid “shooting” their planes


• Value of listening to observations from people onboard

Greg shares a story from a recent flight with expert mechanic Jason Lukasik. When Jason noticed a crack in the wing skin of a relatively new Embraer in flight, even he had trouble convincing the flight crew to take note.

The episode includes a review of the latest NTSB update on the United Airlines 777 engine explosion. The Flight Safety Detectives discuss the details shared and items not yet mentioned. John has some predictions for what’s next.

Flight Safety Detectives is sponsored by Avemco Insurance. Mention the Flight Safety Detectives podcast and receive a 5% discount!

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Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8