Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis find the lack of information emerging about the Air India 787 crash surprising. They wonder if safety critical information is being withheld from the aviation community and the public at large.

The flight data recorder (FDR) is in the US for analysis, while the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) remains in India. The CVR and FDR are typically read out simultaneously to marry up the data. Only when analyzed together can the data be fully understood. Assessing the recorders separately does not make sense.

Another oddity – the Indian government called for inspection of all Air India 787s immediately after the crash. What were they inspecting and do they have knowledge that impacts the safety of the other 1000+ 787s operating around the world?

The accident scene has been cleaned up. Physical evidence may have been lost. No pictures show that investigative teams were onsite to examine and document the wreckage.

The Flight Safety Detectives provide updates to the investigation of the June 12 fatal crash. They share their experiences investigating crashes to examine what the little available information from this crash might mean.

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Todd Curtis and John Goglia share the unfolding information surrounding a October 20, 2024 crash of an air tour R44 helicopter into a radio tower in Houston. The NTSB investigation continues.

The air tour helicopter apparently crashed into the radio tower while the pilot in command was reading back a traffic advisory about a second helicopter in the vicinity. The second helicopter was operated by the same air tour company.

The preliminary NTSB report issued less than a month after the accident. Details in the preliminary report and additional information from security cameras show that the pilot of the accident helicopter had the second helicopter in sight and made no major heading changes to avoid hitting the radio tower. Hear Todd’s assessment of the alignment of the tower and the helicopters.

John and Todd discuss general safety issues of air tour aircraft, including the fact that the ones involved in this crash often lack voice and data recorders. John notes that in his experience the NTSB might not be able to determine a probable cause due to the lack of data.

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Greg Feith, Todd Curtis, and John Goglia are fresh from media interviews on the Air India crash. They regroup here to share their insights with the Flight Safety Detectives audience.

An Air India 787 crashed in Ahmedabad, India on June 12. The detectives want to put the brakes on the media, aviation commentators and social media posters who are providing bad information about the cause of the crash.

Many people speaking out, including pilots and other aviation professionals, are demonstrating little understanding of 787 systems and procedures. They are misrepresenting the limited information available about the event. This is a disservice to the public as well as aviation safety.

Boeing 787 Systems Explained

Greg explains how the 787 flap and slat system operates and how that led many commentators to misinterpret what they saw in the two videos of the crash that have been widely circulated. The main landing gear is visible in the videos, leading some commentators to speculate that the crew neglected to raise it. Greg notes that one of the videos showed clear evidence that the landing gear was in the process of being raised.

The audio of one of the videos suggested that the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was deployed. John and Greg detail how the RAT provides critical hydraulic and electrical capacity to the aircraft. They describe several ways the system can be deployed manually or automatically.

Todd, John, and Greg all criticize the Indian authorities' management of the accident investigation. Video clips of the accident scene show that news media and others had relatively free access to the site. Evidence from the accident scene was disturbed before investigative authorities could inspect it. The lack of security may make it hard to fully understand why the aircraft crashed.

Middle East Conflict Impacts Flight Safety

A major military conflict between Iran and Israel began the day after the Air India crash, dramatically changing flight patterns in that part of the world. Flights may be disrupted further should the conflict intensify. Passengers and flight crews in that area should be prepared with alternative plans should the situation change for the worse.

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.

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