The helicopter crash that killed the CEO of a major Nigerian bank and his family appears to be the result of similar pilot errors that caused the Kobe Bryant crash and other high-profile accidents. Greg Feith and John Goglia cite several recent accidents that show that poor decisions among pilots who fly for Part 135 operators may be the common contributing factor.

The Flight Safety Detectives explore the known facts surrounding the fatal flight. The forecast called for wintry mix along the flight path and witnesses reported precipitation at the time of the accident. The helicopter may not have been equipped for the conditions. The pilots were following roads, which can cause disorientation issues during night flying.

Greg calls for a new look at regulations that allow Part 135 operators of smaller helicopters to fly without either a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder. The lack of recorders limits information available to accident investigators.
​
John and Greg discuss their experiences consulting for companies and high net worth individuals who use executive air transportation services. They have found an overall lack of due diligence to ensure the safety of these operations.

Most general aviation pilots hesitate to declare an in-flight emergency fearing negative consequences. Greg Feith, John Goglia and Todd Curtis use a Beechcraft Bonanza plane crash to illustrate how declaring an in-flight emergency can be the safest move.

The fatal Beechcraft Bonanza accident in the spotlight of this episode is featured in the book, “Single-Pilot IFR Pro Tips” written by 2019 National CFI of the Year Gary “GPS” Reeves. Known as The Guy in the Pink Shirt, Reeves uses examples from several incidents to illustrate good general aviation pilot habits.

Reeves uses the Beechcaft Bonanza event to highlight the advantages of not waiting to declare an emergency. The Flight Safety Detectives find that this crash is also a classic example of how oversights and bad habits by the pilot in command can lead to an avoidable accident.

They offer life-saving insights into this aviation disaster. The NTSB found that the cause was an improperly positioned fuel selector lever. Greg shares his own experience dealing with an improperly positioned lever. John recounts accidents involving fuel selector levers, including the crash that killed John Denver.

Amazingly, John’s experience is that many general aviation pilots have problems with the fuel sector due to not using them at all and never getting a feel for how they operate.

“It’s not like jumping in the car to go to the grocery store,” John says. “Flying is not that simple. You need to do a thorough preflght, every time.”
​
If the accident pilot had followed Gary Reeves advice to declare an in-flight emergency when problems first develop, the pilot would have been able to land safely at an airport. The FAA would have looked at the scenario as prudent decision making and would likely not have taken any action against the pilot.

Singer Jenni Rivera’s tragic plane crash was a tragic accident and not the result of a conspiracy. This special episode of the Flight Safety Detectives features the January 24 interview Todd Curtis gave on the KIQI radio show “Hecho en California,” about the 2012 crash that killed Jenni Rivera.

Todd shares with hosts Isabel and Marcos Gutierrez the conclusions shared by the Flight Safety Detectives team after they analyzed the formal accident report that was released by the Mexican government.

Todd, Marcos, and Isabel discuss several conspiracy theories surrounding the Jenni Rivera plane crash, and how the facts of the accident report don’t support those theories.
​
They also cover the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 plug door loss, an event that happened a few weeks prior to the interview.

The pilot of a Beech Bonanza F33A made an off-field landing when the engine lost power shortly after takeoff. John Goglia, Greg Feith and Todd Curtis dig into the information gathered by the NTSB and find this crash was caused by poor decisions made by the pilot.

Greg, Todd, and John analyze the information from the Public Docket of the crash investigation. They find that the pilot’s lack of understanding about the aircraft and its systems contributed a series of decisions that led to the plane crash.

The pilot took off with the fuel pump on to deal with an overheating problem in two of the six cylinders of the engine. He did this despite a placard advising that the aux pump should not be on during takeoff.

In the Continental IO-520 engine in this plane, as in many piston engines, airflow cools the cylinders. Common and overlooked, baffles are critical for proper engine cooling. John details his experiences seeing damaged, cracked and improperly installed baffles on engines.
​
Greg contrasts the good decision the pilot made to not attempt a return the airport with the bad decisions he regularly encounters when pilots make the hazardous and often fatal decision to make an impossible turn back to the runway.