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A routine flight turned into a tragedy that raises difficult questions about pilot decision-making, flight school oversight, and the risks of night flying.
In this episode of Flight Safety Detectives, Greg Feith, John Goglia, and Todd Curtis examine the fatal June 2026 crash that claimed the life of a newly certificated private pilot and two passengers. Using available ADS-B flight data and their decades of aviation safety experience, they explore the unusual sequence of events including multiple touch-and-go landings in Ocean City, New Jersey, a climb to nearly 9,000 feet, unexplained changes in speed, and a crash just miles from the intended destination.
Could the touch-and-go landings have been an attempt to meet FAA night passenger currency requirements? Was another aircraft from the same flight school flying alongside the accident airplane? What role, if any, did the flight school's practices play in this tragedy?
The hosts carefully separate facts from speculation while highlighting the critical questions investigators should answer. Their discussion provides valuable insight into how experienced accident investigators analyze incomplete evidence and why understanding the "why" behind an accident is essential to improving aviation safety.
This episode offers a thoughtful, evidence-based look at a heartbreaking event and the lessons that may emerge from it.
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 [email protected].
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John Goglia and Todd Curtis went live on June 22 to answer listener questions and give to-the-moment updates on several recent aviation safety events.
They cover several recent misadventures:
A near miss at Boston’s Logan airport involving American Airlines and Delta aircraft. A skydiving crash in Missouri The crash of a NetJets Cessna 688 that was flying to Auston TexasJohn and Todd offer the known details and share what may have gone wrong in each incident.
They also offer the latest information coming out of the investigation of the accident at LaGuardia airport. They go on to answer several listener questions.
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 [email protected].
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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What can NASA safety reports tell us about the state of aviation after the pandemic? In this episode of Flight Safety Detectives, former NTSB Board Member John Goglia and aviation safety analyst Todd Curtis dive into recent trends in NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), examining how reporting levels for Part 121 and Part 135 operators changed during and after the pandemic.
John and Todd also discuss the fatal June 7, 2026 crash of a Gulfstream G200 in the Dominican Republic. They explore how the investigation may unfold under Dominican authorities and explain why the resources available to an investigative agency don't necessarily determine the quality of the final findings.
The episode concludes with a deep dive into a 2023 fuel exhaustion accident involving a Cessna 172. After reviewing the NTSB Public Docket, John and Todd found critical background information that never made it into the final report. Their analysis highlights how additional details—including the pilot's recent passengers and the aircraft's possible weight at the time of the accident—can provide important context when evaluating pilot decisions and accident outcomes.
Don't miss this detailed discussion of accident investigations, safety reporting trends, and the lessons hidden in the details of aviation accident records.
Become a member for new episodes every week and join the conversation about improving aviation safety worldwide.
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 [email protected].
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John Goglia and Todd Curtis examine an all-too-common aviation incident: fuel exhaustion.
Two pilots recently took off on a training flight that would start after midnight and end before dawn. They planned 10 takeoffs and landings at a towered airport, a 100-nautical-mile cross-country flight, refueling, and waiting until sunrise to practice additional maneuvers.
Unfortunately, they ran out of fuel short of the refueling stop and had to dodge wind turbines and power lines to safely land on a road. Because there were no damage or injuries, no report was published by the FAA or NTSB.
However, the incident was reported to the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). John and Todd use that information to examine what happened and point out that they may have created avoidable dangers by planning to perform a challenging set of tasks for a single flight.
This episode also demonstrates how to use the ASRS to learn from those who submit reports, including events that could have ended in disaster. This episode could help you avoid this and other common aviation safety issues.
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 [email protected].
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Todd Curtis and John Goglia share their real time research into unapproved parts in aviation. They use the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) database to do their research.
See what they uncover as they investigate unapproved parts in aviation. They search reports from 1995 and later years to find instances of suspected unapproved or counterfeit parts.
Most of the five cases they dive into are found to be paperwork issues rather than actual fraudulent parts. John adds some historical context, discussing how events like Eastern Airlines going out of business and the U.S. leaving behind a substantial amount of aviation assets after the Vietnam war led to many undocumented parts and helicopter engines entering the global aviation market.
Learn about the history and issues surrounding unapproved parts in aviation maintenance from two aviation safety insiders.
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 [email protected].
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Can artificial intelligence (AI) make aviation safer? In this episode, Todd Curtis and John Goglia explore ways that AI tools are being used to analyze safety data, identify trends, and improve communication across the aviation industry.
Todd shares a project that uses the AI platform Claude along with reports from NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) database to create a customized safety report modeled after the ASRS CALLBACK publication. The discussion highlights how AI can help aviation professionals uncover valuable insights from large volumes of safety data.
Todd and John discuss how aviation professionals can get better results by understanding how to guide AI tools and evaluate their output.
The conversation also explores how safety management system (SMS) managers can use AI to better understand organizational risks, identify emerging issues, and improve safety decision-making.
Todd demonstrates how AI can transform written content into concise, media-ready sound bites and shares a downloadable resource that viewers can use to create their own custom audio clips.
Whether you're an aviation professional, safety manager, mechanic, pilot, or simply interested in emerging technology, this episode offers practical examples of how AI may help shape the future of aviation safety.
Also in this show, John calls out the disservice of incorrect information being shared by one commenter on the UPS crash in Louisville, Kentucky. A prominent aviation safety podcaster who is also an airline pilot repeatedly talks about the #2 engine being affected by foreign object digestion (FOD), a fact not directly supported by the NTSB preliminary report.
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 [email protected].
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New York City eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft test flights and global commercialization efforts are making headlines. Special guest Mike Borfitz, CEO of Kilroy Aviation and a safety certification engineer with more than 40 years of experience, explores critical technical challenges including battery limitations and software integration.
Mike, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia address regulatory hurdles, safety concerns, and urban integration challenges. They discuss the unrealistic market expectations being promoted by manufacturers.
Mike predicts that accidents involving these aircraft are inevitable. Ground-based air traffic management will be essential for safe operations in crowded urban airspace. Emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) transportation revolution will likely succeed, but not in the way some companies in this sector are promising.
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 [email protected].
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Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the details in the NTSB preliminary accident report about the March 22, 2026 fatal collision between an Air Canada Jazz regional jet and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport. The preliminary report offers a detailed timeline of the key events in the minutes before the accident.
The airliner struck a fire truck that was leading six other emergency vehicles across an active runway to deal with an emergency situation. The fire truck had been cleared to cross the runway. Shortly before the truck entered the runway, a controller ordered the fire truck to stop, but the truck entered the runway and collided with the airliner.
John has four key questions that he wants the NTSB to address in the final report:
1. Why didn’t airport authorities equip their emergency vehicles with transponders that would have given the controllers a more precise location of every vehicle?
2. Could the fire truck have stopped before reaching the runway?
3. Was the control tower communicating effectively?
4. Are the warning lights on the runway effective for separating aircraft from vehicles crossing the runway?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 [email protected].
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In this recording of April’s livestream, Todd Curtis and John Goglia focus on all things related to aviation mechanics. John and Todd just completed their participation at the latest AMC MRO maintenance competition and they share the unique perspectives on the past, present and future of A&P mechanics.
👉 Hear what more than 500 competitors from across the globe achieved at the 2026 Aerospace Maintenance Council competition.
👉 Understand how the current shortage will impact everyone from the largest airlines to general aviation pilots.
👉 Hiring! A&P mechanic skills are valued in aviation and many other industries.
John and Todd also have an update on the recent accident at LaGuardia airport. The focus is on the roles played by air traffic controllers and transponders for managing ground traffic.
Flight Safety Detective channel members participated live and had questions about Air India 171 and much more!
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 [email protected].
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Todd Curtis and John Goglia did some digging beyond the official investigation of the tragic March 22, 2026 collision at LaGuardia Airport involving an Air Canada regional jet and an airport fire truck operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
This incident raises serious questions about airport ground safety—and what they have found may surprise you.
John digs into critical factors that could have contributed to the accident, including:
- Why the fire truck may not have been visible on radar
- How the lack of a transponder on emergency vehicles can create blind spots
- Whether runway lighting and visibility played a role
- The potential impact of color vision on interpreting critical warning signalsDespite having ground surveillance systems in place, air traffic controllers reportedly saw only two targets instead of seven separate vehicles.
So what went wrong? Could something as simple as visibility—or even color perception—have made the difference between a safe crossing and a fatal mistake?
This is a must-watch breakdown for pilots, aviation professionals, and anyone interested in how complex systems can fail under pressure.
👉 Watch now to understand the hidden risks on the runway—and what this accident could mean for the future of airport safety.
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 [email protected].
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Controversial proposed landing fee increases at two airports in Mesa, Arizona could have ripple effects nationwide as more airports adopt user fees. What may look like a routine pricing update could significantly impact flight schools, student pilots, and the overall pilot training environment.
John Goglia, Greg Feith and Todd Curtis dive into a critical safety concern. As costs rise, pilots may shift training to less expensive, uncontrolled airports where they will miss out on essential real-world experience communicating with air traffic control. That tradeoff could have real safety implications.
John brings insider perspective from his work with airport authorities, revealing how fee structures don’t always align with the needs of pilots and aviation businesses. Together, the hosts explore how local financial decisions can unintentionally alter training quality, traffic patterns, and ultimately, aviation safety.
If you care about the future of flight training, airport policy, or aviation safety, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
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 [email protected].
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The aviation industry is facing a critical challenge—the growing shortage of aviation mechanics. Todd Curtis and John Goglia break down what’s driving it and why it matters now more than ever.
From an aging workforce to surging global demand for air travel, the need for skilled technicians is reshaping the future of aviation careers.
Go inside the high-energy Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC), where students, military teams, and industry pros compete head-to-head in real-world technical challenges. Top employers are also there actively scouting their next hires.
As airlines boost pay to attract talent, general aviation is feeling the strain. This has led to maintenance delays and impacts on flight training. Todd and John explore what this means for the broader industry and why now might be the perfect time to enter the field.
If you’re curious about aviation careers and the future of air travel, this episode offers a compelling look at where the industry is headed and how you can be part of it.
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 [email protected].
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Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis take you inside the critical first day of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation. Using the recent runway collision at LaGuardia Airport as a case study, they break down the unique challenges investigators face from the moment an accident occurs.
You’ll hear how the NTSB “Go Team” mobilizes—often from different corners of the country—and what happens when key personnel are delayed. Greg shares insights from his experience as an Investigator in Charge (IIC), including supporting leadership on scene and preparing officials for high-stakes press briefings where every word matters.
Get insider insight that only Greg and John can provide:
⚠️Why public communication must be precise, fact-based, and carefully controlled
⚠️How early decisions determine which parties join the investigation
⚠️When and why an accident investigation can shift into a criminal case
⚠️The evolving roles of agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Hear the behind-the-scenes information from TWA Flight 800 crash and the ValuJet Flight 592 crash that shows how complex, resource-intensive investigations uncover critical truths that aren’t always visible on day one.
Whether you’re an aviation professional, safety enthusiast, or just curious about how major investigations unfold, this episode offers a rare, insider perspective.
👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth discussions on aviation safety and investigations.
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 [email protected].
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This recording of a Flight Safety Detectives livestream was recorded soon after the fatal collision between an Air Canada plane and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport on March 22.
Greg Feith, Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the early facts related to the crash and compare the event to incidents they have investigated in their past roles with the NTSB and accident investigation.
The comparisons to the deadly crash near Reagan National Airport are striking. They look at recent developments that are politicizing the NTSB and how that may be impacting aviation safety.
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 [email protected].
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The very system designed to save lives in the air becomes a hidden danger on the ground. Todd and John break down a January 2026 NTSB safety alert warning first responders about the risks posed by Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS) after an aircraft accident.
While BRS have saved countless lives by deploying parachutes in emergencies, the explosive activation system can be dangerous after a crash. Hear about three real-world incidents where first responders were put at risk—either because they didn’t know a BRS was installed or didn’t fully understand the danger.
As these systems become more common across a wider range of small aircraft, the risk is growing and awareness isn’t keeping up.
In one chilling case, a crashed aircraft caught fire and the BRS deployed while first responders were standing nearby. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the close call underscores a critical lesson.
This discussion is a must-watch for first responders, pilots, and even Good Samaritans who may rush in to help after a plane crash.
👉 Key topics covered:
How BRS works and why it remains dangerous after impact Real incidents that prompted the NTSB safety alert Why warning placards and awareness are often lacking The risks to first responders and bystanders What to look for before approaching a downed aircraftStay informed. Stay aware. It could save your life.
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 [email protected].
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Developing: a routine training flight in March turned into a fight for survival.
When a student pilot and instructor flying a Cessna 172 lost engine power over New York’s Hudson River, they were forced to make a split-second decision: attempt to get to Stewart International Airport near the United States Military Academy at West Point or put the aircraft down somewhere else.
About five miles short of the airport, the crew realized they wouldn’t make it back. They decided to ditch onto a patch of ice in the river at night.
Miraculously, both the student and instructor survived the crash and were able to swim to shore. The incident raises several important questions about training flights, decision-making, and risk management.
In this episode, the Flight Safety Detectives break down the developing story and examine key issues the National Transportation Safety Board will likely investigate, including:
✈️ What kind of preflight planning was done before the flight?
✈️ What caused the engine power loss?
✈️ Why was this route along the Hudson chosen for a night training flight?
✈️ Was this route part of the flight school’s curriculum?
✈️ When — or if — control transferred from the student to the instructor?Even though no one was seriously injured, this close call highlights a critical aviation lesson: decisions made before and during a flight can determine the outcome when something goes wrong.
The Flight Safety Detectives analyze the situation, explore the risks of night training over challenging terrain, and discuss what pilots and instructors everywhere can learn from this incident.
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 [email protected].
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What really happens in the hours and days after a major aviation accident and who controls the story?
Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the issues and suffering creating when people speculate after a plane crash. To illustrate the point, they focus on a 2003 Charlotte, North Carolina Beech 1900 plane crash that drew intense national media attention.
John led the NTSB field investigation, navigating not only a complex accident scene but also a storm of media speculation and aviation “experts” offering opinions long before the facts were known.
John shares the inside story of several controversial decisions he made during the investigation. The airline was allowed to put out their own information. Also, raw flight recorder data was released to counter widespread misinformation.
The accident itself involved a troubling chain of events:
An aircraft that had just come out of maintenance with improperly repaired flight controls A flight that was overloaded and out of balance A crew that found themselves unable to prevent a stall shortly after takeoffTodd and John explore the human impact on maintenance personnel whose work may have played a role. They discuss how the aviation industry has evolved to provide psychological support and employee assistance. Gaps still exist, especially when maintenance work is outsourced to third-party providers around the world.
If you're interested in aviation safety, accident investigations, and the human side of aviation, this episode offers a rare insider perspective.
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 [email protected].
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Recording of the monthly livestream!
Flight Safety Detectives go live to answer your aviation safety questions. This month, Greg Feith, Todd Curtis and John Goglia answer questions about TWA Flight 800, the recent Bangor plane crash, and the influence (or lack thereof) of corporate media on NTSB findings and decisions.
Flight Safety Detectives answer questions from the audience the 4th Monday of each month. Send yours in to [email protected].
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 [email protected].
Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8
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Take a deep dive into the iconic air traffic control scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. What host Todd Curtis uncovers might surprise you.
Revisiting the tense near–midair collision sequence, Todd analyzes how accurately the film portrayed the real-world challenges pilots and controllers faced in the 1970s when reporting UFOs (now known as UAPs). As shown in the scene, two separate airline crews and air traffic controllers hesitate to report what they’ve seen—even after a close call.
Todd painstakingly reviewed the footage over a dozen times to create an NTSB-inspired transcript that captures every exchange, side conversation, and moment of uncertainty. His conclusion? The scene would have played out almost the same way in 2007—or even 2017—because FAA reporting policies hadn’t meaningfully changed.
This episode goes beyond policy. Todd reveals how Spielberg masterfully captured the psychological strain of confronting something extraordinary while trying to maintain professionalism and composure. As pilots communicate with ATC, controllers and supervisors can be heard in the background—questioning, rationalizing, and grappling with what they’re seeing.
Then Todd fast-forwards to a real-world case: a 2024 airliner encounter with a suspected UAP. Using ATC audio obtained through a FOIA request, he creates a second NTSB-style transcript and compares it to the 1977 film scene. The parallels are striking—and raise compelling questions about how much has truly changed.
If you’re interested in aviation safety, UAP investigations, or the intersection of Hollywood and reality, this episode delivers rare insight, meticulous analysis, and documents you won’t find anywhere else.
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 [email protected].
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.
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The NTSB report of a fatal Piper Navajo crash in Medford, Oregon in December 2021 leaves important aviation safety questions unanswered. This fatal crash is attributed to spatial disorientation but facts available lead to serious questions about the fuel tanks and more.
The pilot had flown from his home in Nevada to Medford but had to have the fuel system repaired. Days later when the repairs were complete, the pilot took off in low ceiling conditions. The aircraft made a sharp right turn, entered the clouds, and then descended sharply, with the pilot pulling up shortly before hitting the ground After reentering the clouds, the aircraft made an inverted loop and crashed into the ground in a near vertical attitude.
The NTSB identified the probable cause as spatial disorientation followed by an uncontrolled descent, with flicker vertigo as a possible factor in the crash. John Goglia and Todd Curtis discuss how the sharp right-hand turn just after takeoff could have been caused by the pilot attempting an immediate emergency landing, possibly due to fuel system issues related to the recent repairs.They also look at the timing of the pilot's travels to pick up his airplane. The time from his home to the airport was about eight hours. The NTSB noted that the pilot turned in his rental car less than 45 minutes before the accident. Did he do sufficient preflight checks? Was he sufficiently rested?
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 [email protected].
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.
- Visa fler
