Lax oversight by the FAA and questionable maintenance practices by both a flight school and the previous owner of a Cessna 172P aircraft led to a fatal plane crash. The Flight Safety Detectives find this is another aviation disaster that could have been avoided.

The NTSB report points to a corroded aileron control cable that failed just after takeoff as the cause of the event. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia discuss the circumstances that led to the crash, killing a student and an instructor.

The aircraft involved had been sitting idle for about a year before a flight school purchased it. The original maintenance manual had been lost, and a partial maintenance record was provided to the new owner.

Incomplete maintenance logbooks should have prompted a reasonable potential owner to conduct an extensive inspection to uncover issues with the aircraft, yet none was done. The NTSB report does not mention any efforts taken to find maintenance-related records at FAA or elsewhere, actions that would have been reasonable.

A pre-buy inspection was done less than a month before the accident. Although some issues were noted, the inspection failed to identify extensive aileron cable corrosion.

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

A midair collision between a private drone and an aircraft fighting the Los Angeles area fires caused damage to the plane and an evacuation of all firefighting aircraft from the area. John Goglia and Todd Curtis explore the tragic effect on firefighting as well as the violations of aviation rules.

This event was a major setback in firefighting efforts. The FAA had taken steps to restrict flying around the fire area that were not followed. They expect federal action to be taken against the drone pilot.

The collision with the DJI Mini 4 Pro drone punched a hole in the leading edge of the left wing and grounded the Canadair CL-415 SuperScooper amphibious aircraft for several days. The FBI recovered the drone wreckage from inside the wing and is looking for the pilot.

The Canadair SuperScooper amphibious aircraft is designed to pick up about 1,600 gallons of water from lakes or oceans and drop it on large fires. It was one of the largest aircraft types operating over the fires in California.

Most drone operators have no certification and are unaware of the FAA regulations restricting where and when drones can fly. Todd and John highlight the basics. Drone operators must educate themselves on FAA regulations and follow the rules.

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

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