​Greg and John take a deep dive into the accident investigation process related to engines with guest Jason Lukasik, president of JL2 Aviation Consultants in Eagle River, Alaska.

Jason shares his experiences in two roles. He was the air safety representative for an engine manufacturer. He also served with the FAA. He shares first-hand accounts of how engines are assessed and analyzed from the first moments of an investigation.

Listen as Greg, John and Jason tear down engines, looking for the important details that contribute to an accident. They also talk about the safety insights and enforcement actions that can result.

NTSB and FAA investigators are not deemed “essential” for the purposes of coronavirus guidance. That’s a huge concern for John and Greg as well as special guest Jason Lukasik, president of JL2 Aviation Consultants in Eagle River, Alaska.

Investigations of new accidents are all but on hold. Only basic information is being collected as personnel work from home. This even though investigators have biohazard training, proper protective equipment and the knowledge to conduct onsite investigations in a safe manner.

Perishable information is being lost as accidents are cleared and witnesses go without being interviewed. The NTSB and FAA say they plan to take up the backlog when operations get back to normal, but the work is sure to be much harder – and less insightful – as time passes.

There’s another wrinkle for the long term – the aviation industry role in providing expertise to crash investigations is dwindling. In the early 2000s, most manufacturers staffed up to have dedicated experts that contributed to crash investigations. This helped everyone identify root cases and safety issues more quickly.

Even before the heavy economic impacts of COVID-19, strapped manufacturers have not been back-filling investigator positions. That situation is certain to get worse as they deal with the losses from weeks and months of being all but shut down.
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John, Greg and Jason share cases from their personal experiences to illustrate the risks and impacts these changes can have on air safety. They discuss the certain and urgent need to shift to new ways of handling air crashes and safety issues.

The PistonPower™ referral program allows PAMA members to offer customers a variety of maintenance programs and receive a commission of 3% of the enrollment fee. Learn more about the program and how PAMA members can take advantage of the opportunity.

The program also funds a scholarship for individuals interested in a career as an aircraft maintenance
technician. More information about that opportunity is available at Scholarship.

The live webinar took place on Feb 12, 2020. Tune in to the recorded version by clicking the register button, below.

It is with sadness PAMA announces the passing of Arthur C. "Butch" Giessman.

Butch was a supporter of the local and national aircraft maintenance organizations and was a founder and early president of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA). He was an avid supporter of the A&P schools to include Parks College, Southwest Illinois College, Missouri Technical College, Gateway Tech, Spartan School of Aeronautics, and more.

Butch asked that we not mourn his death, but celebrate his life. A Celebration of Life Party will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to Wings of Hope, the Society of St. Vincent DePaul Archdiocesan Council of St. Louis, and the American Heart Association.
 
​https://www.osfuneralhomes.com/obituary/arthur-giessman