What really happens in the hours and days after a major aviation accident and who controls the story?
Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the issues and suffering creating when people speculate after a plane crash. To illustrate the point, they focus on a 2003 Charlotte, North Carolina Beech 1900 plane crash that drew intense national media attention.

John led the NTSB field investigation, navigating not only a complex accident scene but also a storm of media speculation and aviation “experts” offering opinions long before the facts were known.
John shares the inside story of several controversial decisions he made during the investigation. The airline was allowed to put out their own information. Also, raw flight recorder data was released to counter widespread misinformation.

The accident itself involved a troubling chain of events:

• An aircraft that had just come out of maintenance with improperly repaired flight controls
• A flight that was overloaded and out of balance
• A crew that found themselves unable to prevent a stall shortly after takeoff

Todd and John explore the human impact on maintenance personnel whose work may have played a role. They discuss how the aviation industry has evolved to provide psychological support and employee assistance. Gaps still exist, especially when maintenance work is outsourced to third-party providers around the world.
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If you’re interested in aviation safety, accident investigations, and the human side of aviation, this episode offers a rare insider perspective.

Flight Safety Detectives go live to answer your aviation safety questions!

This month, Greg Feith, Todd Curtis and John Goglia answer questions about TWA Flight 800, the recent Bangor plane crash, and the influence (or lack thereof) of corporate media on NTSB findings and decisions.
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Flight Safety Detectives answer questions from the audience the 4th Monday of each month. Send yours in to [email protected].

Take a deep dive into the iconic air traffic control scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. What host Todd Curtis uncovers might surprise you.

Revisiting the tense near–midair collision sequence, Todd analyzes how accurately the film portrayed the real-world challenges pilots and controllers faced in the 1970s when reporting UFOs (now known as UAPs). As shown in the scene, two separate airline crews and air traffic controllers hesitate to report what they’ve seen—even after a close call.

Todd painstakingly reviewed the footage over a dozen times to create an NTSB-inspired transcript that captures every exchange, side conversation, and moment of uncertainty. His conclusion? The scene would have played out almost the same way in 2007—or even 2017—because FAA reporting policies hadn’t meaningfully changed.

This episode goes beyond policy. Todd reveals how Spielberg masterfully captured the psychological strain of confronting something extraordinary while trying to maintain professionalism and composure. As pilots communicate with ATC, controllers and supervisors can be heard in the background—questioning, rationalizing, and grappling with what they’re seeing.

Then Todd fast-forwards to a real-world case: a 2024 airliner encounter with a suspected UAP. Using ATC audio obtained through a FOIA request, he creates a second NTSB-style transcript and compares it to the 1977 film scene. The parallels are striking—and raise compelling questions about how much has truly changed.
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If you’re interested in aviation safety, UAP investigations, or the intersection of Hollywood and reality, this episode delivers rare insight, meticulous analysis, and documents you won’t find anywhere else.

PAMA provides scholarships and awards to aviation maintenance professionals. 

Applications for the 2026 season are due in 7 days!  The deadline to apply is March 2, 2026. 

Eligibility requirements are as follows unless otherwise indicated in specific award descriptions, below:

• Legal U.S. residency
• Recent graduate (within six months), or enrollment in a Federal Aviation Administration part 147 school
• Current PAMA member (check the member list here).

Scholarship applications must include:

• A current or most recent transcript,
• Two letters of recommendation from an employer, educator and/or mentor
• A minimum 250-word essay on career ambitions​​

The number of awards available is dependent on funds received. For more information on supporting the maintenance professional awards and scholarships, email [email protected] or contact PAMA scholarship chair Ron Zilberbrand.

Please note: relatives of PAMA directors are not eligible for scholarship awards.

Jack D. Prewitt Memorial Scholarship, provided by PistonPower, Inc.
​Two $1,000 awards.

​JSFirm.com Aviation Mechanic Student Award
One $1500 award

The awards are provided to current or recent aviation maintenance students. Monetary Awards may be used towards the purchase of tools, tuition or other education-related expenses.

At the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA), we believe in celebrating the foundational work that keeps our industry soaring. There is no higher tribute to the dedication and expertise of senior mechanics than the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award.

Named in honor of Charles E. Taylor—the Wright brothers' mechanic and the first aviation mechanic in powered flight—this prestigious award recognizes those who have spent half a century ensuring the safety and reliability of aircraft.

Who was Charles Taylor?
Mr. Taylor was a visionary machinist who built the aluminum-copper, four-cylinder engine for the Wright brothers' first successful flight in just six weeks. Today, his legacy lives on not only through this award but also through his image on FAA mechanic certificates and the celebration of Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Day on his birthday, May 24.

Eligibility Requirements
This award is the FAA's most prestigious honor for individuals certificated under Title 14 CFR Part 65. To be considered for the "Roll of Honor," nominees must meet these rigorous criteria:

• Certification: Hold a U.S. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or FAA mechanic or repairman certificate.
• Experience: Have 50 or more years of civil and military aviation maintenance experience.
  • At least 30 of these years must have been served as an FAA-certificated mechanic or repairman.
  • Up to 20 years may be credited from U.S. military experience or uncertificated work in U.S. aviation maintenance or manufacturing facilities.
  • The 50 years may be computed consecutively or non-consecutively.
• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Integrity: Must NOT have had any airman certificate revoked; revocation at any time disqualifies a nominee.
  

​How to Apply
Recognition of such a milestone is a significant event for both the recipient and the aviation community. If you or someone you know meets these milestones:

1. Review the Guide: Follow the specific application procedures in the current Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award Information Guide.
2. Submit Documentation: Nomination packages typically include a maintenance history (resume or company records) and three letters of recommendation from fellow FAA mechanics attesting to your professionalism and expertise.
3. Contact Your Local Office: Reach out to your local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) or your FAASTeam Program Manager for further assistance.

Celebrate the Masters
Recipients of this award receive a distinctive certificate and are added to the official Roll of Honor on FAASafety.gov. As of early 2026, over 3,500 dedicated professionals have been honored with this distinction.

"The award is very important for the mechanics because it is one of the few forms of recognition that you have for a career—an unblemished career." — John Goglia, PAMA Contributor and Award Recipient

The NTSB report of a fatal Piper Navajo crash in Medford, Oregon in December 2021 leaves important aviation safety questions unanswered. This fatal crash is attributed to spatial disorientation but facts available lead to serious questions about the fuel tanks and more.

The pilot had flown from his home in Nevada to Medford but had to have the fuel system repaired. Days later when the repairs were complete, the pilot took off in low ceiling conditions. The aircraft made a sharp right turn, entered the clouds, and then descended sharply, with the pilot pulling up shortly before hitting the ground After reentering the clouds, the aircraft made an inverted loop and crashed into the ground in a near vertical attitude.

The NTSB identified the probable cause as spatial disorientation followed by an uncontrolled descent, with flicker vertigo as a possible factor in the crash. John Goglia and Todd Curtis discuss how the sharp right-hand turn just after takeoff could have been caused by the pilot attempting an immediate emergency landing, possibly due to fuel system issues related to the recent repairs.
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They also look at the timing of the pilot’s travels to pick up his airplane. The time from his home to the airport was about eight hours. The NTSB noted that the pilot turned in his rental car less than 45 minutes before the accident. Did he do sufficient preflight checks? Was he sufficiently rested?

We are only 2 weeks away from the
23rd  Annual PAMA DVBAA Maintenance Symposium & IA Renewal

Saturday, February 28, 2026 from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm
FREE EVENT TO ALL ATTENDEES

Attendee & Sponsorship Registration now Open on DVBAA Web site, link below:

Note: Several people reached out about issues with the previous link, the new link below shouldn't be blocked by Apple devices

23rd Annual PAMA DVBAA Maintenance Symposium & IA Renewal Registration

Link not working? Visit https://dvbaa.wildapricot.org/event-6410659Deerfield Golf & Tennis Club
507 Thompson Station Rd   Newark, Delaware 19711 
Event Includes:
8 Hours of IA Approved Training
Food and drink included.

All Free
2026 Sponsor & Vendor Registration NOW OPEN! 

Thank you to all of the sponsors below who's support made this years event possible
Gold
West Star Aviation
 
Lunch Sponsor
GoGo
 
Silver
Duncan Aviation
Concorde Battery
Aircraft Specialties
TBX (airworthy.com)
RealClean Aircraft Detailing
Hartzell
McFarlane Aviation
Goodyear
Aerospace Turbine Rotables
Polytech School of Aviation Maintenance
Engine Assurance Program
Aircraft Lighting International
Honeywell
Velocity Maintenance Solutions
Cosgrove Aircraft Service
Sierra Nevada Corporation
 
Bronze
Solairus Aviation
Satys Aerospace


Contact
Thomas J. Smith
President
First State Chapter - PAMA
302-256-8695

Calling all future aircraft mechanics! If you're looking to fuel your aviation career without emptying your wallet, the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) is officially accepting applications for its 2026 scholarship season. This is a massive opportunity for students or recent grads from FAA Part 147 schools to get some extra cash and recognition for all that hard work you're putting in on the hangar floor. 

Ready to apply? It’s pretty straightforward. First, make sure you're an active PAMA member (if you aren't yet, now is the perfect time to join the crew! For free!). Then, head over to the PAMA Scholarship Page to grab the application form. You’ll need to pull together your proof of enrollment or graduation, and don't forget to ask for those letters of recommendation early—those usually take the most time! 

Don't let the clock run out! The hard deadline for all your materials is March 2, 2026. Whether you're just starting your training or finishing up your certs, this is your chance to get a head start on your career. Check out the full list of rules and get your packet submitted at the PAMA Scholarship Page before time flies by! 

This episode looks at two aviation accident investigations that were highly complex for very different reasons. One is the well-known TWA Flight 800 investigation where John Goglia and Todd Curtis were both directly involved. The other is a lesser-known 2002 crash of a Cessna 208B aircraft that is the subject of a book by author Leslie Kean.

John and Todd review the crash of TWA Flight 800, an investigation where John was involved as an NTSB Board Member and Todd as support for Boeing. They explore the complexity of the investigation and the efforts made to understand the accident. They highlight the massive amount of data in the NTSB Public Docket.

A different kind of complexity was involved in the investigation of a Cessna 208B aircraft that lost control and crashed shortly after takeoff from Mobile, Alabama. Leslie Kean covers this investigation in her 2010 book “UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record.” She calls the accident a UAP event AND Todd agrees.

John was also involved in the investigation as a NTSB board member. The NTSB identified the probable cause as spatial disorientation followed by a loss of control.
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However, one aspect of the accident remains unresolved. Several pieces of the wreckage have red streaks that could not be matched to aviation paint used on civilian or military aircraft. Several organizations were involved in this investigation. Despite multiple analyses of the red streaks, they could not be explained.