Flight Safety Detectives

Sailplane pilot Bob Pett had a close encounter with an unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) that exhibited extraordinary speed and maneuverability. Bob shares the experience with John Goglia and Todd Curtis in his first public statement about the encounter.While the first UAP flew in close formation off his left wing during the encounter, two similar UAPs descended from a cloud and joined up with the first. Seeing the next two UAPs approach raised the hair on the back of Bob’s neck. Bob and his passenger documented what they saw on August 9, 2015, including sketches of the event. Richard Haines of the National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena (NARCAP) later published a detailed report of the encounter. Bob was not identified by name in the report. Several aspects of this encounter, including pilot decision-making under stress, reporting hazardous events to the appropriate authorities, and the lingering effects of experiencing a potentially catastrophic event in the air, are relevant to aviation safety with or without the involvement of a UAP.The aviation industry has not taken the UAP issue seriously. Despite the increased acceptance of the issue at the highest level of government, resistance to discussing the issue remains.UAP-related aviation safety issues should be reported by pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, other aviation professionals, and passengers. NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) is an excellent and anonymous reporting system that ensures that anyone reporting a UAP event will not be identified. 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. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

A wave of drone sightings are being reported throughout New Jersey and metropolitan New York, including flights over military installations and critical infrastructure. Drones are now part of battlefields. Are we under attack? Todd Curtis and John Goglia look at the facts of the recent drone sightings. Some video clearly shows airplanes in flight. However, others appear to show drones. The federal government's response has been lacking, with government spokespersons offering few insights into who or what is behind the drone flights or whether there is a national security issue.Russia, China, Iran or private companies testing advanced technology are not likely behind the drone flights since being caught performing such flights would not be in their best interests. There also does not seem to be any attempt to hide the activity. Todd shares the FAA requirements for drone flights at night, including use of remote ID.The government has added dozens of flight restrictions in New Jersey and New York. These may not be effective because there may not be enough resources in place to identify drone activity in all those areas.Todd and John discuss their work as instructors at Vaughn College in New York, describing how the students there create drones using 3-D printing. Todd, a commercial drone pilot since 2016, discusses the drone class he teaches and how he incorporates drone developments, such as the innovations in the use of drones in the war in Ukraine, into the course.More to come on drones as Todd and John examine a sailplane encounter with a UAP in the next episode. 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. Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8

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

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