NTSB News Talk is On the Air

A few months ago, my buddy Max Trescott and I realized we were speaking to each other three or four times a week about recent aircraft accidents. We’ve both been flying for more than 50 years and have both hold multiple CFI ratings nearly that long as well. We’re also both terminally curious about nearly everything and everyone who flies, which is probably why Max recently added rotorcraft ratings to his certificate.

Anyway, when we’d talk, we were always wondering why or how the pilot in question could have blundered into IFR weather when they don’t possess an instrument rating. Or why the pilot of a multi-engine aircraft let the aircraft slow below Vmc after losing an engine after takeoff. Or why they failed at something that seemed as simple as radio calls in the traffic pattern at a non-controlled airport were skipped. No matter the reason, the outcomes are unfortunately usually the same: Loss of control in flight, impact with the Earth and the loss of more lives.

We’d always wonder about the reasons for a crash of course, but more importantly whether there might be insights we might uncover from the available evidence, facts we’d want to share with our flying friends or students to prevent them from becoming a statistic. That’s when we landed on the idea of starting the NTSB News Talk show to talk about recent accidents and other stories related to aviation safety. Of course the disclaimer … we’re not affiliated with the NTSB, nor are we attempting to solve the case before the folks in Washington. We’re just a couple of guys trying to use their decades of expertise to be of some value to listeners as we impress upon them that any of these accidents might have included them, or us for that matter.

That said, I give you episode #6 of NTSB News Talk where Max and I dissected incidents like the really close calls between a regional jet and a B-52 over Minot, ND or the one in Mexico City where it appears an AeroMexico regional aircraft almost landed on top of a Delta Airbus just starting its takeoff roll on the same runway. Other stories include a Dassault Falcon 10 overrun accident at Panama City, Florida and a the unfortunate story of what happened to the AOPA’s Husky on the way to this year’s AirVenture.

And just because I know neither of us has all the answers,  I recall a story in which I recently took some refresher training in a Cessna 182 and seemed to have completely forgotten some of the safety training I’d learned in my many years in the cockpit. The story is about more than just having a bad day aloft though, it’s about what happens when we don’t listen to those little voices in our head that try to warn us all is not right … those voices that we often criticize others for not paying attention to.

It proved again that we’re all human, I guess.

So please do give episode #6 a listen. If you enjoy what you hear, you can subscribe through the Apple Podcast platform or wherever you find your favorite shows. We’d appreciate you sharing the show with your flying friends too. And of course, we always welcome your feedback.

Thanks for reading and listening

Rob Mark

PS – for those who aren’t familiar with either of us, Max and I are both alums of the Airplane Geeks podcast. Max has also been successfully producing  the Aviation News Talk show, while I’ve been continuously producing my blog Jetwhine right here for 19 years and until recently co-hosted the Attitude Adjustment show each summer on EAA Radio.  My detailed bio is available here.