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

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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