Fire and smoke led to the crash of a Douglas DC3 that killed signer Ricky Nelson and six others. To this day, rumors surround this 1985 deadly crash. Todd Curtis and John Goglia dig in to analyze the known facts.

Among the rumors they explore is one that suggests that Ricky Nelson and other passengers may have caused a fire while using drugs in the passenger cabin. Although the NTSB report was inconclusive about the cause of the fire, the crew had reported issues starting the cabin heating system.
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For John, this aviation disaster illustrates his larger concern about maintenance and operation of charter aircraft. He feels strongly that anyone who charters aircraft should check out the potential supplier of services to ensure they follow FAA requirements for operating their aircraft.

Is Qantas Airlines safe? Two recent events have led the Australian media and others to raise that question.

The first safety issue was in November 2024. A tool was left in the engine of a Qantas A380 for nearly a month before it was discovered. A few days later, a Qantas 737 had an engine failure while taking off from Sydney.

The Australian media covered these events extensively, raising concerns about Qantas’ safety. The Flight Safety Detectives look at whether these events establish a pattern of concern.

One factor here is that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigates events that would likely not generate a detailed report if they happened on an aircraft registered in the U.S. or elsewhere.
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John Goglia and Todd Curtis also discuss a 2020 fuel dumping event over Los Angeles that resulted in many school children being exposed to fuel. The FAA issued a report that stated that fuel dumping is relatively rare in the U.S., averaging about 15 events per year from 2015 to 2020. Hear how and why these events occur.

The PAMA South Texas Chapter is hosted their 3rd Annual Holiday Gala to raise funds for aviation maintenance scholarships, award scholarships live, and recognize some amazing individuals in Aviation.

PAMA South Texas Chapter awarded 6 scholarships to A&P students in Texas. Five recipients will have their program balance paid by the chapter. In addition, the chatper awarded a Graduate Scholarship to a student as well and he will be receiving a full toolbox and tools.

PAMA South Texas Chapter President, Chad Tew, said the event was successful and amazing.  

The 4th Annual ST PAMA Gala will be held Saturday, September 6th, 2025. Check out the website for more information on scholarships and the 2025 event.

Todd Curtis and John Goglia share the unfolding information surrounding a October 20, 2024 crash of an air tour R44 helicopter into a radio tower in Houston. The NTSB investigation continues.

The air tour helicopter apparently crashed into the radio tower while the pilot in command was reading back a traffic advisory about a second helicopter in the vicinity. The second helicopter was operated by the same air tour company.

The preliminary NTSB report issued less than a month after the accident. Details in the preliminary report and additional information from security cameras show that the pilot of the accident helicopter had the second helicopter in sight and made no major heading changes to avoid hitting the radio tower. Hear Todd’s assessment of the alignment of the tower and the helicopters.
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John and Todd discuss general safety issues of air tour aircraft, including the fact that the ones involved in this crash often lack voice and data recorders. John notes that in his experience the NTSB might not be able to determine a probable cause due to the lack of data.