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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Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

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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Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

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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Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8