High-Flying Drama: Drone and Helicopter Collide in Mid-Air – Episode 193
/in Episodes /by Jill KurtzA drone and helicopter collide in midair as they cover a desert road race. The crash caused minor damage to the helicopter and major damage to the drone. Todd Curtis and John Goglia dissect the video and NTSB report of the incident involving a Aerospatiale AS350BA helicopter and a DJI Mavic 2 Zoom drone.
John and Todd focus on key safety issues that the NTSB did not raise as they examined the 2020 collision in Johnson Valley, California. Operating helicopters and drones in the same low altitude airspace created significant safety risks that neither pilot appeared to take into account.
A video from the drone documents the midair collision. John and Todd share expert analysis of the safety issues revealed in the video. They find that both pilots made hazardous moves that were outside regulations.
Related documents:
- NTSB Public Docket
- Drone video from Public Docket
- NTSB Aviation Investigation Final Report DCA20IA081
- FAA Certificate of Waiver or Authorization
- NTSB Form 6120 from DCA20IA081
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Major League Pitcher Halladay’s Flight Stunts Lead to Death – Episode 190

Pilot Attempts to Crash Plane, Lockerbie Bomb and More Crimes in Flight – Episode 189

High Risk Choices Lead to Plane Crash that Kills 2 – Episode 188

Getting Serious About UAP Sightings – Episode 187
Greg Feith and John Goglia, the Flight Safety Detectives
World-renowned aviation industry consultants and former NTSB investigators John Goglia and Greg Feith have 100 years of worldwide aviation safety experience between them. In this hard-hitting podcast series, they offer the ultimate insider view of everything aviation safety including behind-the-scenes facts on deadly air crashes and issues impacting general aviation and the commercial airline industry.

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