Episode 18 Loretta Alkalay , a retired regional counsel for the FAA Eastern Region, is known as the “drone queen” for her passion as a drone user. She is this episode’s special guest as John and Greg explore all things drone. Drones are an exciting way to get kids, and especially girls, involved in aviation at a time when the industry needs to build a pipeline of new talent. However, their use for commercial purposes, privacy concerns, and other issues have led to confusion and a rush for regula...
Mar 18, 2020•48 min•Ep. 23
Episode 17 The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General’s office recently issued a scathing report about failures in Southwest Airlines’ safety practices and culture . The report also criticizes the Federal Aviation Administration’s inspectors and leaders assigned to monitor Southwest for lax and ineffective safety oversight of the airline. John and Greg discuss the issues found at Southwest, and broaden the discussion to US air safety practices in general. Air safety has been so good fo...
Feb 25, 2020•47 min•Ep. 22
Episode 16 The fatal Jan. 26, 2020, Sikorsky Helicopter Crash near Calabasas, California is the latest high-profile NTSB investigation. John and Greg use the unfortunate tragedy to look at the facts known so far and also to explain the NTSB investigative process. They give listeners behind the scenes insight into what happens from the first moments after an accident. John and Greg share examples from the many investigations they have been part of to review what is known and what remains to be le...
Feb 18, 2020•48 min•Ep. 21
Episode 15 They have dissected the more than 300 pages of the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) final report on Lion Air Flight 610 and John and Greg reach a very different conclusion. The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was not the root cause, flight crew deficiencies are more likely the root cause. Once again, John and Greg stick to the facts presented in the report. They find that those facts are twisted in the report analysis as well as media c...
Jan 23, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 20
Episode 14 Greg and John do a moment by moment analysis of the events leading up to the crash of Lion Air Flight 610. They share their takeaways following months of dissecting the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) final report regarding the crash. They put the facts in context – facts listed in the report as well as details that are missing. The MCAS system that is widely blamed for the crash was activated for only 10 seconds of the first 6 minutes of the 11:37 flight. T...
Jan 16, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 19
Episode 13 The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) final report regarding the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 continues to get a lot of media attention. Moving away from soundbites, John and Greg examine the actual words and facts found in the report and call out numerous false narratives. Chaos in the cockpit? The report mentions that the sound of pages being turned in the operations manual could be heard on the cockpit voice recorder. Aircraft failure? The report does not s...
Jan 08, 2020•59 min•Ep. 17
Episode 12 John and Greg share observations from their recent visit to Boeing headquarters. During executive briefings they asked the same tough questions they pose in their podcasts, sometimes stumping the experts. They share how the visit validated the observations they have shared about the LionAir and Ethiopian Airline crashes. They also found more details that are important to finding the answers that will lead to increased air safety. This episode also digs into two Thanksgiving weekend ge...
Jan 08, 2020•37 min•Ep. 16
Episode 11 The holiday season is a busy time for air travel. John and Greg advise that patience and planning can minimize the stress of holiday travel and help you arrive safely. Give yourself plenty of extra time Be sure your bags don’t have any prohibited items and meet size and weight limits Review current TSA rules so you can get through security smoothly Once on the plane, review the safety information and have a mental plan in case of emergency Keep in mind that all the people who work in ...
Dec 18, 2019•42 min•Ep. 15
Episode 10 John and Greg explore what was said and what wasn’t said when Boeing executives recently spent two days on Capitol Hill testifying before congress. Their take: the hearings were an emotional platform for congressmen to point fingers, not an opportunity for fact finding. As always, John and Greg use the podcast format to go deeper than 30 second soundbites. They talk in detail about the questions that need to be asked. They refocus the discussion on the facts of the Indonesian National...
Dec 05, 2019•50 min•Ep. 14
Episode 9 The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) has released its final report regarding the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 and John and Greg are far from satisfied. One thing is clear to these aviation experts: the focus was on returning the plane over and over again to revenue service, rather than fixing known issues. In this episode, John and Greg focus on critical maintenance issues, some of which are presented as little more than footnotes in the NTSC final report . Th...
Nov 27, 2019•58 min•Ep. 13
Episode 8 John and Greg take listeners inside NTSB aircraft accident investigations. They use the case of Valujet Flight 592 to illustrate how the process works and the types of issues encountered. The parties and technical experts involved can be forthcoming and not so helpful, with serious consequences. They also highlight how these investigations uncover the facts that can lead to everything from criminal proceedings to new safety procedures. Valujet Flight 592 was a regularly scheduled fligh...
Nov 13, 2019•24 min•Ep. 12
Episode 7 Accidents and other issues created by distracted driving make headlines across the country. Prompted by listener questions, John and Greg talk about the issue of distractions and flight safety. They share recent incidents and observations involving pilots, mechanics and line crews where distractions of cell phones, iPads and cockpit technology are creating room for mistakes. Is “distracted flying” leading to more things being missed? Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Det...
Nov 06, 2019•18 min•Ep. 11
Episode 6 Pilot training and confidence is everything when it comes to safety in the air according to this week’s guest, Captain Chinar Shah. She’s a professional pilot, flying for more than 19 years,13 as a pilot in the airline ranks including a number of months in the Boeing 737 Max. Shah used to fly for Jet Airways in India. She converted her license in the U.S. with the FAA and she has seen all sides of training in the United States and worldwide. In this week’s episode, Shah and the Flight ...
Oct 16, 2019•53 min•Ep. 10
Episode 5 Flight safety Detectives Greg Feith and John Goglia welcome Kathy Yodice, Managing Partner, Law Offices of Yodice Associates, for a lively discussion of aviation regulations and legalities. An important theme is the role that maintenance and maintenance technicians play in airplane safety for both air carriers and general aviation. 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 se...
Oct 10, 2019•23 min•Ep. 9
Episode 4 In their latest podcast (#4) Former NTSB Board Member John Goglia and former NTSB Lead Investigator Greg Feith dissect the recently released Boeing 737 MAX Safety recommendations issued by the NTSB. The Detectives criticize the recommendations because they task the FAA and aircraft manufacturers with “dumbing down” the latest generation commercial airplanes to make up for the incompetent or unqualified pilots who may be flying these airplanes in the future. Feith says that “these recom...
Oct 02, 2019•57 min•Ep. 6
Episode 3 "In the US we have the NTSB which is an independent investigative authority. Ethiopia does not have that. How is it that that they are going to be held accountable?" "Some preliminary information...indicates that the AoA vane (an exterior part that measures the plane's angle of attack) was in question - either it failed on takeoff or because of a possible bird strike." Captain George H. Snyder, President and CEO of GHS Aviation Group and former Vice President of safety for USAir and Ko...
Sep 18, 2019•30 min•Ep. 3
Episode 2 "That was a brand new airplane. If they had a problem, why didn't they go back to Boeing for a brand new part?" "Many airlines today are outsourcing both line maintenance and their heavy base maintenance functions." "While the services can be outsourced, the accountability and and responsibility must remain with the operator!" Flight Safety Detectives John Goglia and Greg Feith discuss the deadly October 2018 Lion Air crash with Captain George H. Snyder, President and CEO of GHS Aviati...
Sep 18, 2019•25 min•Ep. 2
Episode 1 Why would two guys with 100 years of flight safety experience between them want to dive back into the politics, the technology, the human factors and other aspects of the worldwide aviation industry? Because, often, it's a matter of life and death and billions of dollars are at stake. In the debut episode, John Goglia and Greg Feith tell you why this podcast series is taking flight, they discuss critical issues facing the aviation industry, and preview what they'll discuss in future ep...
Aug 23, 2019•21 min•Ep. 1
