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.

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Nathan Fielder needed an aviation expert for Season 2 of the series "The Rehearsal" so he tapped Flight Safety Detectives’ own John Goglia. John’s recommendations for how crew resource management (CRM) can reduce aviation accidents became the focus of the season.

John discusses how he was approached to be in the show, how he didn't have a clear idea of the direction it would take, and the unexpected reaction.

Season 2 of "The Rehearsal" addresses the role that enhanced CRM could play in reducing accidents. The tropic is explored in the context of comedy, absurdity, and simulations of the travel experience. Throughout, John is featured as the voice of authority.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the series was how seriously deeply Fielder approached the subject. He went from being a non-pilot to getting a type rating in a 737. Hear John’s insider look at how the show came together.

Stay tuned – John has invited Nathan Fielder to appear on a future episode of Flight Safety Detectives!

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Jim Croce died in a plane crash more than 50 years ago. Determining what caused the 1973 crash is challenging. This episode also covers an event where no one was flying a Lufthansa plane.

The only surviving document from the plane crash that killed Jim Croce is less than a page long, leaving many questions unanswered. The investigation was likely carried out by an investigator who was outside of NTSB headquarters. At that time, the records for most accident investigations were not sent to headquarters.

Jim Croce was traveling late at night from Louisiana to Texas. For reasons that are not explained, the aircraft hit a tree off the end of the runway. It was destroyed in the subsequent fire. While the report mentions the weather conditions and the pilot's preexisting heart condition, it does not answer many questions, such as whether the plane was overloaded or even the position of the tree relative to the runway.

In a 2024 incident involving Lufthansa, the captain stepped out of the cockpit and the first officer lost consciousness. For 10 minutes, no one was flying the plane!

The event did not result in an accident, although it was a close call. Fortunately, the first officer recovered enough to open the cockpit door, and the flight continued without incident.

John Goglia and Todd Curtis agree that always having a second person in the cockpit is a good practice. The regulations in Europe, where Lufthansa is based, do not require a second person.

Although these two events are very different, like many accidents and incidents, each provides learning opportunities. Aviation is a learning adventure!

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Recent air traffic control issues at Newark Liberty Airport and the recent dismissal of an NTSB board member signal significant aviation safety issues in the US.

Since early May, Newark Airport has experienced significant flight disruptions due to radar outages and shortages of air traffic controllers. The current FAA administrator blames the previous administration for these problems. What’s the truth?

These issues have been ongoing for more than a decade for many reasons.

• Delayed infrastructure improvements
• Aging air traffic controller workforce
• Increased demand for flight operations at Newark

Add to this that there aren’t enough trained air traffic controllers. A combination of retirements, COVID hiring freezes, and flawed hiring policy changes have limited the number of potential new controllers.

John Goglia and Todd Curtis discuss possible air traffic controller mental health issues that may arise from a combination of stress from long hours and high workload. Negative news coverage from both traditional and online media compounds the situation.

NTSB board member Alvin Brown was removed without explanation in May. Brown is a former mayor of Jacksonville, Florida. He was a board member since March 2024 and vice chair since December 2024. This is the first time a Board member had been removed in such a fashion. Todd and John speculate that Brown was dismissed because of his close association with the Democratic Party.

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A 200-pound chunk of ice came crashing through the roof of a house in February. What was the source?

Todd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia analyze an unusual event involving a large chunk of ice from the sky. The ice fell out of a clear sky and crashed through the metal roof of a home in Florida.

After an investigation, the FAA found no evidence that a plane was the source of the ice. Chemical analysis showed that the ice was not contaminated with chemicals that may have come from an airplane's lavatory.

Twelve to 15 ice fall events occur annually. Since 2000, 78 of these events had no identified origin.

Was it an icy meteorite? Space debris? Someone in the local area launching it with a catapult? The detectives explore these and other possibilities.

This event fits into the category of a UAP, or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, that is possibly from unknown or unrecognized natural phenomena.

Bonus: Hear Greg’s review of the Mark Wahlberg movie "Flight Risk."

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Helicopters and offshore oil platform operations can be a deadly combination. John Goglia and Todd Curtis discuss two accidents to illustrate aviation safety concerns.

In a 2010 accident discussed, maintenance and managerial failures resulted in minor damage and no injuries because of the pilot's skill. Another is a fatal accident that killed all on board due to the pilot not following the helicopter operator's standard procedures for landing and taking off.

In the 2010 accident there were multiple missed inspections by mechanics and pilots over several days, including the accident flight. The poor maintenance effort led to system malfunctions that prevented the pilot from fully controlling the helicopter, forcing the pilot to make a running landing at about 45 knots.

In a 2022 accident, the pilot landed away from the center of the helideck and the rear of the right skid was over the edge of the helipad and adjacent to a raised perimeter light. When the pilot took off, the right skid contacted a perimeter light, causing the helicopter to roll sharply to the right. The helicopter struck the helideck, rolled off the oil rig, and sank. The pilot has a documented history of not following takeoff and landing procedures on most of his flights to and from oil rigs.

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