New evidence calls into question the NTSB's conclusions – and our reporting in Episode 193 - about a 2020 midair collision. Video and other information shows that there were two helicopters in the area before the midair collision.

Miles O'Brien, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia revisit the 2020 midair collision of a drone and a helicopter. The NTSB used a video shot by the drone to conclude that a helicopter seen at the beginning of the video later collided with the drone. 

When Todd recently used the video as part of a class he was teaching, he noticed a shadow that he could not explain. That led to lots of sleuthing and the realization of the involvement of a second helicopter. 

Safety concerns arise when one or more helicopters operate around a drone. In addition to this 2020 collision, a midair between two news-gathering helicopters in 2007 that killed everyone on both helicopters.

Miles shares his experiences flying in situations where multiple helicopters are covering a breaking news story. Pilots of manned and unmanned aircraft need to coordinate closely to maintain safe operations.

The NTSB should consider taking a second look and revising its report to address the aviation safety issues uncovered. John shares his experience on the NTSB Board and what it took to reopen an investigation when new information was available.

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https://flightsafetydetectives.com/2020-midair-collision-revisited-episode-221

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Two Piper airplane crashes show that pilots’ bad decisions can have devastating results. This episode covers two avoidable fatal crashes. 

A 1991 accident involves a Piper Seneca in Florida. The NTSB found that the two occupants were partially disrobed and no evidence that either were wearing seat belts or shoulder harnesses. The report makes clear that the two occupants were attempting to join the Mile High Club.

In the second event, a Cessna 150 crashed in 2014 after the pilot took off at night with a very low ceiling. He was taking flash pictures. He crashed shortly after takeoff due to spatial disorientation. The pilot’s decision to fly in deteriorating conditions is similar to errors made by the pilot in the Kobe Bryant Crash.

The pilot had a commercial and an instrument rating but was not current to fly at night or in instrument conditions, a classic case of a VFR pilot taking off in IFR conditions. The visibility conditions were so low that the pilot may not have any chance of landing at the departure airport.

Pilots can be tempted to bend the rules in order to have some fun in the air. These lessons show that the results can be deadly.

Related Documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website.

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Coming to you from the 2024 AMC Competition in Chicago! Miles O'Brien, Todd Curtis, John Goglia, Greg Feith, and aircraft mechanic and accident investigator Jason Lukasik share the experience of the competition. Every aspect of aviation maintenance and repair was on display as competitors worked to beat the clock.

This year more than 400 competitors from nearly 90 teams from maintenance schools, airlines, and the military tackled 27 aviation maintenance skills challenges. Hear about the displays of excellence and comradery witnessed at the event.

The high-energy event highlights the critical role of aviation maintenance professionals and gives the participants insights into opportunities in the industry. The event showcases the skill level of the participants. For some, it is a direct path to finding employment in the field.

John, who is one of the founders of the competition a decade ago, shares AMC's plans to expand the competition to more aviation industry conferences. More maintenance teams will be able to take part.

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Special guest Henry Gourdji shares the work of the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation, which presents the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award. The air safety award has been given in recognition of aviation safety leadership since 1956. Recipients include John Goglia in 2020. 

The award grew out of the 1945 crash of a DC3 that killed all 20 crew and passengers, including Laura Taber Barbour. Her family created the award to recognize significant air safety achievements. Henry highlights the ongoing dedicated work of air safety professionals.

John and Henry discuss the international scope of the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation. In addition to the annual awards, the foundation provides scholarships to encourage students to pursue aviation safety careers. 

Todd Curtis and Greg Feith share John’s continued contributions to aviation safety, including the recent AMC Competition in Chicago and a recent U.S. Senate hearing that mentioned his role in preventing accidents like the structural failure of an Aloha Airlines 737 in 1988.

The detectives share their experiences working with younger aviation professionals who have the drive, passion, and capabilities to continue to improve aviation safety.

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Miles O'Brien joins Todd Curtis and John Goglia to discuss two fatal general aviation accidents that involved aircraft that were just out of maintenance. In focus are the decisions and actions pilots and maintenance personnel could have taken to avoid the crashes or make them survivable.

One crash involves a Piper Cherokee on its second flight after an oil pressure line was replaced. The pilot did not do a basic preflight check or notice a five-foot diameter oil stain under the aircraft. The engine failed shortly after takeoff, and the pilot crashed while attempting to make a 180° turn back to the airport. The pilot and a passenger were killed.

In a similar accident, a Piper Arrow on its first flight after maintenance had multiple issues, one involving one of the aircraft's navigation systems and the other involving an oil leak. The pilot contacted ATC about wanting to return because of navigation problems, but soon after, the engine failed. Two people were killed in the crash. The NTSB found that when part of the avionics was replaced, a required gasket was not included. That caused the oil leak that led to the engine failure. 

These disasters could have been avoided with better preflights. The detectives share their experiences and observations of overly casual preflight inspections. Pilots should focus on preflight planning for any non-routine flight and review in detail any work done on an aircraft on its first flight after maintenance.

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https://flightsafetydetectives.com/navigating-the-risks-of-post-maintenance-flights-episode-217

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A Beech Hawker 900XP jet crashed while doing a flight test of a stall warning system. Special guest Miles O'Brien joins Todd Curtis and John Goglia deconstruct the February 2024 aviation incident. 

The accident occurred during a positioning flight that happened after completion of maintenance of the anti-icing component on the leading edge of the wing. The flight crew was performing a required test of the stall warning system. The aircraft lost control and crashed about 11 minutes after takeoff.

Stall tests are often done early in a flight so the crew can easily return to the maintenance facility if an issue is found. However, this crew did not follow standard procedures.

The crew took risks during the flight test, including flying over high terrain with limited visibility due to overcast conditions. The stall characteristics were more intense than what most pilots would experience in a small training aircraft.

This accident is compared to two earlier events. In 1979, a 727 crew had a loss of effectiveness of the flight control system and were barely able to recover the aircraft after a spiral dive and rapid loss of altitude. In the other event, a DC8 crew crashed while conducting a stall test after the aircraft had completed an extensive overhaul and modifications.

Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website.

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A photo shoot in a dry Nevada lakebed went horribly wrong when the wing of an airplane hit the model in the head. Miles O’Brien, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia discuss the June 2023 accident that involved an Aviate Husky plane.

The pilot, photographer and his wife, who was the model for the photo session, met early on the morning of the accident. On the fly, they planned a complex photo session involving the aircraft flying close to the model. 

The pilot misjudged his approach and the wingtip of the aircraft struck the back of model's head and caused a serious injury. John compares this event to the 1982 fatal accident where actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed in a helicopter crash on the set of the Twilight Zone movie. 

Todd shares the pilot's prior experience with similar photo sessions, and compares his approach to the much more structured approach that occurs in professional film and television productions.

Miles and John share personal experiences with risky decision making. For Miles, it was his decision to continue flying with low fuel and landing with little left in his tanks. For John, he recalled a flight over the Atlantic where he had concerns that aircraft would not make it to land, and how he had a sudden interest in the operation of the life raft!

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Home-built aircraft are dangerous. Special guest Miles O'Brien joins Todd Curtis and John Goglia to discuss an August 2023 crash of a Kit Fox Model 3 aircraft that seriously injured the pilot.

The FAA's approach to home-built aircraft allows owners to build their aircraft with little or no direct oversight. The accident rate is more than two times higher than general aviation aircraft.

The pilot did not have a current FAA medical certification or a current endorsement to operate an aircraft as a single pilot. According to the maintenance documentation, in the eight years prior to the accident, the pilot had fewer than three hours of flight time.

Home-built aircraft have advantages such as lower cost of ownership. Kit built aircraft have grown in popularity as more manufacturers enter the market. There are even high schools that build kit aircraft for resale as part of their educational programs.

The safety risks are high. Kit aircraft are certified as experimental aircraft by the FAA. Some have modifications that would not be allowed on other kinds of general aviation aircraft. Little more than a driver’s license is needed to pilot one of these aircraft.

Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website. 

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An experienced flight instructor and student were killed when stall and spin practice in a Cessna 172 went horribly wrong. Flight data recorded by the aircraft and other evidence shows that the aircraft entered a very steep spiral turn nearly 6,000 above the ground and did not recover.

“They set themselves up for the right conditions. This accident just doesn’t make sense,” John Goglia says.

Todd Curtis and John dig into the November 11, 2021 fatal plane crash. The flight instructor had nearly 15,000 hours of experience in the Cessna 172 and the student pilot had nearly 370 hours in the same make and model. No mechanical fault was found with the plane involved.

Based on information in the student's logbook and the Cessna 172 operating handbook, the student pilot and instructor may have been performing a maneuver associated with obtaining a commercial pilot certificate. Todd, who is also considering the same certification, discusses the requirement that the pilot be familiar with spiral turns. 

Students pursuing a private pilot certificate are not required to perform a spin maneuver, but it is still often part of flight instruction. They advise aspiring pilots to decline optional maneuvers that they think are too risky.

Related documents are available at the Flight Safety Detectives website.

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More than 50 people were injured on March 11 when a Boeing 787 flying from Australia to New Zealand experienced a precipitous drop. John Goglia shares inside information that indicates one of the pilot seats was accidentally moved forward, jamming the pilot up against the control column and causing the sudden drop.

Special guest Miles O'Brien joins Todd Curtis and John Goglia to discuss this and another aviation incident from early March 2024. The second incident occurred on March 7, when a planespotter recorded a video of a wheel falling off of a 777 shortly after takeoff from San Francisco.

The location of the cockpit seat switch in the 787 airplane is examined in detail. John shares first-hand experiences that demonstrate why the information about the March 11 flight is plausible. The event investigation by the Chilean authorities is expected to provide full details.

Todd shares his experiences as a Boeing engineer working on the 777 development program. He and his colleagues identified design changes to deal with potential safety issues, but most of those changes never happened.

John shares his experiences with wheel separation events. He has an informed opinion on how the recent 777 wheel separation event may have happened. The NTSB needs to get to the root cause and provide the public with detailed information about what happened.

The media, including social media, plays a significant role in bringing attention to aviation safety events that were often ignored in the past. 

Are there more aviation safety issues than in years past? John points out issues such as experienced professionals leaving aviation. Todd looks at the impact of increased  availability of aviation data.

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Todd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia discuss the crash of a Joby JAS4 eVTOL aircraft to highlight safety concerns and regulatory challenges. Propulsion units used in eVTOLs pose significant safety risks.

The eVTOL in this crash was being remotely flown during a test flight. The aircraft is powered by six electric motors and is designed to take off and land vertically like a helicopter and cruise like an airplane. 

John, Greg, and Todd examine how the design of the aircraft, with a unique configuration of six propulsion units, creates several failure modes that don't exist for currently certified passenger-carrying aircraft. While no one was injured or killed in this crash, Greg, Todd, and John explore risks evident in the accident. They call on the FAA to consider these risks during the certification process. 

Several eVTOL manufacturers, as well as some manufactures of large jet transports, are designing their aircraft for either single pilot or autonomous operation. These designs make it difficult to respond to unforeseen emergencies. Greg and John note the crew responses to several past aviation accidents and how a single pilot or an autonomous system may not be able to deal with those situations. 

Related documents are at the Flight Safety Detectives website.

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