Flight Safety Detectives

Recorded the day of the crash of a Cessna Citation earlier in the day that killed former NASCAR champion Greg Biffle, his family, and three others when the aircraft struck the ground just short of the runway and caught fire at the Statesville, North Carolina airport. The aircraft had taken off from the airport just a few minutes earlier and was attempting to land at the same airport.The aircraft, a 1981 Cessna Citation, was owned by a company associated with Biffle. Biffle was a rated multiengine pilot, but it is not known whether he was also a...

Guest Xyla Foxlin focuses on how the FAA and the aviation community can better support mental health issues faced by pilots and other aviation professionals. Foxlin is an engineer and pilot who produced an award-winning video about pilot mental health.Her aviation journey highlights include a Young Eagles flight that cemented her fascination with aviation, owning and maintaining a Cessna 140 that she has flown from coast to coast, a 2025 visit to Oshkosh and regaining her FAA medical certificate.Foxlin discusses efforts with the Pilot Mental Health Campaign (PMHC) to push the Pilot Mental Health in...

This recording of a live stream on November 26 gives additional insights and updates into recent issues in aviation safety. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith and John Goglia tackle viewer questions to correct mistakes and dig deeper into current accidents and incidents.Hear more about:Politics and aviation safetyBasic Med rulesThe Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025How a ramp worker was able to steal an airplane in broad daylight 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 servi...

Take a deep dive into the NTSB preliminary report of what happened when a taxiing Delta A350 struck and substantially damaged an Endeavor CRJ in Atlanta. Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis examine the contributing factors, including crew distractions, limited visibility of the wingtip from the cockpit, and the layout of the taxiways.This event was one of three incidents involving Endeavor Airlines CRJs in a little over a year. Two Endeavor Airlines CRJ aircraft collided on the ground at LaGuardia Airport in New York in October. There was also a crash during landing of an...

The perception of aviation safety risk is much higher than the actual data. Safety data expert Mike Borfitz helps John Goglia and Todd Curtis look at how misleading data is used to support misleading theories about the Air India 787 and other high-profile aviation disasters.John and Mike highlight issues with reporting and documents related to the Air India accident. Learn the inside story on why some official-looking reports are inaccurate. Todd and Mike and both former Boeing engineers who used aviation data to analyze risk and support the manufacturing process. They discuss how Boeing and A...

A look at the facts provided in the NTSB preliminary accident report on the November 4, 2025, crash of a UPS MD-11F in Louisville, Kentucky. John Goglia, Todd Curtis and Greg Feith share their insider perspectives as they examine the details of this fatal plane crash.Many online commentators have speculated on the cause of the crash and other details of the accident, only to be proven wrong by the facts provided by the NTSB. The accident has similar circumstances to the 1979 crash of an American Airlines DC-10 in Chicago. What is very different is the p...

Breaking news! The FAA has made significant changes to the policy on reporting Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). UAP reports generated by air traffic controllers will use the acronym UAP instead of UFO, and controllers are required to provide specific information about the UAP in their reports.Also in this episode, Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss two 2025 fatal accidents in which pilot medical conditions may have been an issue. Todd and John discuss how aging brings issues that are a challenge for older pilots. The NTSB preliminary reports of the accidents under scrutiny do not i...

This recording of a livestream event covers many aviation safety topics, from designing aircraft for safety to mental health support for industry professionals to passenger responsibilities. Hear Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis tackle viewer questions with insight and candor!Among the topics covered:Biennial flight reviewsMental health in the cockpit and in the hangarTesting for certificated pilotsA preflight checklist for passengersRecent aviation safety presentationsGulf of Mexico or Gulf of America? Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at yo...

In this 300th episode of the Flight Safety Detectives podcast, Greg Feith, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia welcome special guest Sarah MacLeod, executive director of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA). Maintenance issues get the spotlight, including how maintenance professionals and aircraft operators are challenged to understand how FAA maintenance regulations and standards apply to them.MacLeod is a vocal advocate for individuals and companies on international aviation safety law, policy, and compliance issues. She and John have each worked to shape FAA regulations and policies, sometimes in conflict but always with the same objectives in mind.<...

Greg Feith, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia provide critical insights into an October 1, 2025, ground collision at LaGuardia Airport between two taxiing regional airliners. The collision caused serious damage to both planes operated by Delta Connection. The NTSB has not yet provided a preliminary report but the detectives gather details that offer initial insights. John has extensive experience as a mechanic at LaGuardia and shares his experience with congestion at this very busy airport. Hear why the pilots may have been distracted while taxiing.A Flight Safety Detectives channel member shares lessons learned from an incident w...

A pilot who was attempting to satisfy FAA requirements for flying at night was killed in another preventable plane crash. The NTSB report of this 2018 high-energy impact into the ocean leaves several key questions unanswered.The NTSB lists a probable cause that the Flight Safety Detectives just can’t support. They add this to a list of insufficient NTSB reports published in the last few years.The pilot in command was flying at night with a passenger. He was required by the FAA to have performed three takeoffs and landings in the previous 90 days. According to...

A mission to collect crocodile eggs in Australia went horribly wrong after a series of errors. A R44 helicopter ran out of fuel and the pilot had to release an external sling carrying the person collecting the eggs, killing that person and injuring the pilot.The helicopter was one of a group of helicopters participating in a reality show. The accident pilot passed on the opportunity to refuel on the way to the egg-collecting area, adding to several actions that led to the fatal accident. The accident report details events that began years before the a...

In this recording of the first Flight Safety Detectives live stream, viewer questions take John Goglia, Todd Curtis and Greg Feith on a deep dive onto aviation safety headlines. Audience questions help bring forward the latest developments in the investigations of the Air India crash, Washington National crash, reports of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) and much more.Why the public will never get full disclosure of the Air India crashPotential changes coming from the DC crash investigationLimitations and benefits of cameras in the cockpit and around aircraft Unanswered questions in recent UAP investigationsCriminal prosecution in accident investigation in t...

Deferring maintenance can be deadly. The July 2024 fatal crash of a twin-engine Beechcraft Duke, which killed the pilot and both passengers, provides the perfect case to make this point. The aircraft had been idle for several months and had been exposed to weather including snow. The pilot was flying himself and his two passengers from upstate New York to Ohio. He did so despite airworthiness issues that included visible landing gear damage.The left engine lost power and the pilot attempted to land at a nearby airport. The pilot lost control and crashed after attempting a...

Spotlight on the September 2024 fatal crash involving an Evolution Revo light sport weight shift aircraft (LSA). A CFI and student pilot were killed when the aircraft's wings folded and it entered a steep dive.Todd Curtis and John Goglia explore questions not answered in the recently released NTSB report. How or why did the CFI miss the checklist item to attach a key support cable? Had the aircraft recently been transported? Was work done on the aircraft?The aircraft uses hang-glider-like wings for lift. It relies on moving a control bar to shift the center...

Calling out inappropriate CFI behavior! John and Todd dig into the details of a fatal September 2023 accident involving a night training flight. The student's regular instructor was not available, and this was the first training with a different CFI.The CFI’s actions were unprofessional and inappropriate. He uploaded posts to Snapchat before and during the flight. In a post uploaded prior to the flight, the CFI complained about how long the student took to do a preflight inspection. John Goglia reminds that a preflight inspection should take as long as necessary!The CFI...

Viewer questions lead to continued discussion in Episode 288 about a fleet of unknown drones that violated FAA regulations by flying near an airliner for an hour. John Goglia and Todd Curtis provide additional insights.Would cameras in the cockpit be helpful? Probably not. Advances in flight data recorder technology have allowed flight data recorders to track over a thousand inputs about the state of the aircraft, including most of the information that a camera in the cockpit could provide. In the case of the drones, the pilots would have had a better view compared to a cockpit...

John Goglia, Todd Curtis, and Greg Feith discuss the details of a fatal R44 helicopter crash in Australia that involved a pilot who had been drinking and had suspected mental health issues. The pilot took off without permission and made several low-level passes over the city before crashing into a hotel. The ATSB accident investigation report included a detailed analysis of the flight and of the helicopter wreckage, but didn't provide details as to the level of the pilot's intoxication, the pilot's mental fitness or witness statements that may have shed some light on the pilot's state o...

What’s the latest with Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370)? The 777 disappeared over 11 years ago. John Goglia and Todd Curtis provide the latest details. They also look at a 2023 crash of a Robinson R22 helicopter in rural Australia. The evening flight ended in tragedy when the pilot was killed when the helicopter crashed into trees at about 88 knots.The helicopter was not equipped for night flying and lacked an artificial horizon. The pilot relied on a lighted helipad for guidance but could not see it because of smoke in the area due to controlled burns. Despite mul...

August in flight safety: at least 40 reportable events in just 12 days. The Flight Safety Detectives have reason to believe the number of events is even higher.Worse, the NTSB is putting out inadequate reports. They often provide the obvious cause and do not dig in to find the root cause. Significant questions are left with no answers. Greg Feith notes every accident has a safety lesson to learn.The NTSB preliminary report for a fatal crash of a Piper J5 Cub that happened on the first of the month, was a situation where the aircraft...