“A sloppy operation all around.” That’s John Goglia’s summary of a helicopter and truck accident that’s the subject of this episode. John counts 19 operational errors listed in the accident report that all contributed to the crash that destroyed a police helicopter.

John and Todd Curtis share insight and amateur video that provide a close look at the 2020 ground collision in Brazil. The helicopter was operating on a public road while traffic was passing both in front of and behind the aircraft.

Many operational procedures were in place to avoid such an accident. Unfortunately, they were not followed.
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John and Todd cover the many ways that this accident could have been avoided. They talk about the value of following procedures to eliminate or reduce unnecessary risks.

John Goglia and Todd Curtis discuss a recent event where an A320 lost part of its left elevator during takeoff in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The focus is on the differences in aviation safety systems around the globe, the challenges of tracking service bulletins on aircraft, and pilot decision making.

In this Jan. 29 flight, the flight control system was damaged and the aircraft was unable to make left turns. The aircraft continued to its destination and landed safely.

John and Todd discuss the crew’s decision to continue the flight, the ability of the civil aviation authorities to investigate the incident, and the role that the manufacturer may play in understanding what led to the elevator separation.
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An investigation into the incident may or may not happen. Further, results of any information gathered may not be released to the public or aviation community.

Even highly experienced pilots can be overcome by severe weather. Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the fatal crash that took the life of famed test pilot Scott Crossfield. A thunderstorm boxed him in, leading to loss of control of his Cessna 210A.

John and Todd examine the weather information available to the pilot and to air traffic controllers. Failure to pay attention and communicate about the weather played a key factor in this air crash.

Crossfield was a famous test pilot with more than 11,000 flight hours. He was the first person to break Mach 2 in an airplane.
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John and Todd discuss the need to reconsider flying when severe weather is predicted. They note that planes of all sizes can be affected, and a flight delay is often the safer alternative.