Flight Safety Detectives

A just-issued NTSB advisory warns operators of several Hawker jet models of a dangerous stall tendency not adequately explained in the aircraft's documentation. Todd Curtis and John Goglia share important background and details.
The advisory was issued based on findings from two fatal Hawker jet crashes, one in 2024 and the other in 2025. Both occurred during post-maintenance flights to test the stall warning system. Interesting - the NTSB also noted that it could not find any experience, training, or qualification criteria for pilots tasked to perform a stall test flight or any additional plan or procedures for performing a stall test flight.
The advisory applies to 664 recent Hawker jet models and says about 450 older models may have a similar issue. The advisory includes seven recommendations to address the issue. It also states that the manufacturer's instructions for required post-maintenance test flights were deficient. 
John shares his experience with issues that arise when aircraft return to flight after major maintenance, including pilots who don't take the time to do extensive preflight preparation. In fact, some operators restrict who can fly post-maintenance missions.
The NTSB advisory states that in three accidents investigated the effects the crew experienced when the aircraft entered a stall were much more severe than the aircraft's documentation indicated.

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Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

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In a December livestream event Todd Curtis and John Goglia tackled listener questions. Listen as they take a deeper dive into some of aviation safety’s most important topics:
TWA 800 investigation – was it a coverup?
Getting NTSB reps on the show to discuss investigations
Taxiway issues
How the media affects air crash investigations
Updates on the Louisville crash
Listen and get updated on these topics and more. 

Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.

Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.
Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to [email protected].

Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

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A veteran crisis-communications expert and author of “Transport Management: Successes and Failures” (2026) joins the show. Linda Tavlin draws on more than 35 years of experience to discuss how transportation organizations—especially airlines—should communicate during major accidents and crises. 
Linda and John Goglia reflect on their long professional history, including work on major aviation disasters. They illustrate how poor communication during crises often worsens outcomes, while good communication can significantly reduce long-term damage.
Linda shares a story about two airlines she helped train. After both had major accidents, one airline followed her approach to communicating about the accident and the other did not. The outcomes were very different.
Linda’s approach to crisis communication includes advice on who should communicate to the different groups who deal with an accident investigation. John also discusses the communication strategy in the investigation of the 1996 fatal ValuJet crash.
John, Linda and Todd Curtis also discuss the investigation of the 2013 Asiana crash in San Francisco, where a television station broadcast information about the pilots in the airliner that was both false and offensive.

Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.

Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.
Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to [email protected].

Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

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The European Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) on November 28, 2025, that ordered nearly 6,000 A319, A320, and A321 aircraft be grounded to check for a flight control computer issue. Todd and John recorded this show while gathering details about the grounding in real time.
The show was recorded as John gets phone calls and emails from colleagues during the show and Todd prepares for a television news interview. This episode shows how they gather facts and data on unfolding aviation safety events like ADs.
The affected aircraft had to be on the ground for repair, just over a day after the AD was issued. John describes how challenging this would be for airlines that fly large numbers of the affected aircraft. He shares the logistical issues the airlines face as they check these aircraft, especially if they are located far away from a repair station. They also predict the impact on the flying public.

Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.

Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.
Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to [email protected].

Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

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Recorded the day of the crash of a Cessna Citation earlier in the day that killed former NASCAR champion Greg Biffle, his family, and three others when the aircraft struck the ground just short of the runway and caught fire at the Statesville, North Carolina airport. The aircraft had taken off from the airport just a few minutes earlier and was attempting to land at the same airport.

The aircraft, a 1981 Cessna Citation, was owned by a company associated with Biffle. Biffle was a rated multiengine pilot, but it is not known whether he was also a member of the flight crew. At the time of this recording, there was little information about the factual circumstances of the event. 
The ADS-B flight track of the aircraft implied that the short flight may have been in a cloud layer, but there was no indication that wind or visibility played a role in the crash.

John Goglia discusses how aircraft even older than this accident aircraft can be properly maintained, and he also discussed how he would approach this kind of accident if he were leading the maintenance investigation. Greg Feith and John have issues with the NTSB Board Member Michael Graham leading the team because he was a former employee of the company that also owns Cessna. 
John discussed how, during his time on the Board, he was not allowed to participate in any hearings involving one of his former airline employers. He faced media scrutiny when he was involved in the investigation of an airline that operated flights on behalf of a former employer. Even the appearance of a conflict of interest should be avoided.

Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel, listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website.

Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.
Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to [email protected].

Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

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