Several recent airplane crashes appear to be the result of rusty pilots not following pre-flight checklists and best practices. John, Greg and Todd talk about the difference between accidents that are caused by some anomaly and crashes that result from intentional or negligent actions.

Initial information indicates that 2021 is rife with crashes. This episode examines emerging trends. They discuss initial information and investigative questions raised by several recent incidents.

John is congratulated for being named as a 2021 recipient of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) Wesley L. McDonald Distinguished Statesman of Aviation Award.  The award honors outstanding living Americans who, by their efforts over an extended period of years, have made contributions of significant value to aeronautics, and have reflected credit upon America and themselves.
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Other news discussed includes potential changes in the top ranks of the NTSB and indications that the crash of MH370 was the result of murder-suicide with known details not fully shared with the public.

​September 17, 2021
 
CONCORDE BATTERY CORPORATION OPENS REGISTRATION FOR
FAA APPROVED 2022 VIRTUAL IA RENEWAL SERIES
 
WEST COVINA, CA -- In 2021 nearly 3000 participants joined Concorde’s virtual seminars.  Viewer feedback was overwhelmingly positive with great suggestions for future events. To improve the experience for attendees in 2022, Concorde is offering FAA Approved IA Seminars focused on three distinct disciplines – piston, turbine and rotorcraft.  All are welcome at these free events; IA status is not required.
 
Registration for Concorde’s Virtual IA Renewal Seminars in January 2022 is now open!
 
The dates are as follows –
 
Concorde’s Piston Virtual IA Renewal – January 13 & 14, 2022
Cleveland Wheels and Brakes, Tempest Aero, G&N Engines, Hartzell, Lycoming, Eagle Fuel Cells, Concorde Battery & the FAA
 
Concorde’s Turbine Virtual IA Renewal – January 20 & 21, 2022
Michelin, TAE Aerospace, Collins, Goodrich De-Ice, Hutchinson, Dassault Falcon Jet, Concorde Battery & the FAA
 
Concorde’s Rotorcraft IA Renewal – January 27 & 28, 2022
Leonardo, Airbus Helicopters, Champion, Sikorsky, Velocity Aerospace, StandardAero, Hartzell, Concorde Battery & the FAA
 
Each seminar will be held over two days for 4 hours each day to fulfill the 8-hour IA training requirement.  For the convenience of attendees around the world, each day two session will be available at 8 AM to 12 PM EST or 5 PM to 9PM EST. The speakers and content will be the same during each daily time block, but the choice will allow you to select the time block that best suits your schedule. 
 
Registration is required and will be closed when capacity is met.  This year registration will be completed through a new Concorde User Portal.  In order to register for the events, you will generate a login.  Once you have registered you can participate in one, two or all three events with the click of a button.  The portal delivers visibility to your course registration and will provide you with your unique access key to the seminar. After the seminar is over and participation has been validated, certificates will be loaded to the portal.  If you use the same email address to register for the portal as you have for past events, certificates from previous sessions will also be loaded to the portal for your availability.  You can access registration by visiting www.concordebattery.com and clicking on the 2022 IA Renewal Series graphic on the homepage. 
 
Concorde Battery Corporation values education, which is paramount to the industry’s safety and success.  With a focus on educating operators on battery airworthiness and maximizing the life of your battery, Concorde Battery Corporation also provides training opportunities throughout the year.
 
We look forward to hosting the Concorde Virtual IA Renewal Series again in 2022 and sincerely hope you will join us! 
 
For more details, contact: [email protected]
 
Concorde Battery Corporation
2009 San Bernardino Road
West Covina, CA, 91790
phone 626/813-1234

The NTSB has finished the investigation into a 2011 crash of a Cessna 421 but the Flight Safety Detectives have issues with the listed probable cause. Further investigation reveals a completely different root cause. Greg, John and Todd go through the details to reveal important aviation safety findings.

While the NTSB cited the failure of right engine cam gears, missed was evidence that the engine sustained a lightning strike. “The NTSB stopped at the obvious and didn’t dig deeper,” Greg notes.
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They dissect the flight, the issues presented handling a fully loaded plane with one engine, known and unknown maintenance issues and much more. They provide safety benefits that are missing from the NTSB report. General aviation pilots will understand the importance of contingency planning to allow for smart decision making when issues crop up in flight.

The pilot and six passengers were injured when a Cape Air Cessna 402 crashed just past the runway of Provincetown Municipal Airport (PVC) in Massachusetts on Sept 9. Information is just starting to be collected but Greg, John and Todd already see key takeaways to benefit every pilot.

The NTSB has launched an investigation. Questions to look at include the role of weather – did water on the runway impact an attempted landing? What does Flight Radar 24 and Flight Aware data offer and is the fidelity good enough to draw any conclusions? The flight was delayed at takeoff – what role did that play?
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John, Greg and Todd explore the many questions and factors that could have played a role in the accident. The details to emerge so far indicate this event provides both commercial and general aviation pilots and mechanics with important takeaways.

Ignore that seemingly mundane safety bulletin at your own peril. John, Greg and guest Jason Lukasik, president of JL2 Aviation Consultants and former FAA inspector, talk about the importance of knowing and acting on all levels of service instructions.

Three levels of service instructions are routinely issued for aircraft. Service letters are generally informational. Service Bulletins ask for a higher level of attention and action. Airworthiness Directives indicate a serious safety issue. John, Greg and Jason argue that each is worthy of attention because they all improve aircraft safety.

They share first-hand experiences of negative outcomes when service information is ignored or completed incorrectly. They argue that the time and cost needed to track and address these notices are important investments every airplane owner needs to make.
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Special advice is offered for anyone in the market to purchase a plane. Some research and asking the right questions can go a long way to getting full disclosure on the status of all related service bulletins.

Wednesday September 29, 2021
Crystal Springs Golf Course
Hamburg, NJ

Check in and lunch start at 10:00am, shotgun start at 12:00pm.

Guest Jonathan Rupprecht of Rupprecht Law joins John and Todd for a discussion of a lawsuit related to recent FAA rulemaking involving drones. The new rule effectively puts drone pilots under surveillance and create significant limits on use.

Jonathan discusses his work with Tyler Brennan and RaceDayQuads to petition the FAA to reconsider the remote ID rule. The lawsuit is seeking to strike down the drone remote identification regulations as illegal.

The rule requires, among other things, that a drone in flight to provide identification and location information that can be received by other parties.
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Listen as they discuss the implications of the rule. Jonathan shares knowledge of related cases and Fourth Amendment concerns.