As the world looks to get back on track, front and center is the need to maintain protections to prevent the spread of coronavirus. This is a challenge for the aviation industry that does not yet have a clear answer.

Greg, John and guest Dr. Joe Kravitz explore some options. They outline what is known about preventing the spread of viruses and the very real challenges of ensuring safety of crew members and passengers in air cabins.

Dr. Kravitz discusses the science behind the protocols he uses to assure safety and hygiene in his dental practice. The conversation highlights the challenge of disinfecting aircraft, the downsides of solutions that are being discussed, and what’s needed to truly provide a measure of safety.

COVID-19 will change air travel. This is one in a series of episodes where Greg and John explore the many implications.

NTSB and FAA investigators are not deemed “essential” for the purposes of coronavirus guidance. That’s a huge concern for John and Greg as well as special guest Jason Lukasik, president of JL2 Aviation Consultants in Eagle River, Alaska.

Investigations of new accidents are all but on hold. Only basic information is being collected as personnel work from home. This even though investigators have biohazard training, proper protective equipment and the knowledge to conduct onsite investigations in a safe manner.

Perishable information is being lost as accidents are cleared and witnesses go without being interviewed. The NTSB and FAA say they plan to take up the backlog when operations get back to normal, but the work is sure to be much harder – and less insightful – as time passes.

There’s another wrinkle for the long term – the aviation industry role in providing expertise to crash investigations is dwindling. In the early 2000s, most manufacturers staffed up to have dedicated experts that contributed to crash investigations. This helped everyone identify root cases and safety issues more quickly.

Even before the heavy economic impacts of COVID-19, strapped manufacturers have not been back-filling investigator positions. That situation is certain to get worse as they deal with the losses from weeks and months of being all but shut down.

John, Greg and Jason share cases from their personal experiences to illustrate the risks and impacts these changes can have on air safety. They discuss the certain and urgent need to shift to new ways of handling air crashes and safety issues.

John Goglia, center, with Tamarack’s Jacob Klinginsmith (left) and Nick Guida

Guests Nick Guida and Jacob Klinginsmith from Tamarack Aerospace Group talk about the company’s patented active winglets. Installed now on 100 Citation Jets, the winglets have proven to offer better climb, more range, and less fuel burn.

Active Winglets add up to 33 percent fuel savings on general aviation aircraft and at least double or triple fuel savings percentage on commercial or most military airframes.

Greg and John discuss the genesis of the idea, the impact for pilots, the effect on aircraft performance, and the environmental benefits of the active winglet technology. They look at the potential for military, commercial and general aviation.

They also explore a 2018 accident involving a Citation Jet equipped with active winglets. Despite initial negative press, the Tamarack technology was cleared for flight. Guida and Klinginsmith share lessons learned and ongoing efforts to work with the FAA to get out accurate information.

About Tamarack

Tamarack designs and develops innovative technology for business, commercial, and military aircraft, specializing in its revolutionary Active Winglets. Tamarack winglets create performance and fuel efficiencies that make aircraft more cost effective for operators and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More information is at the Tamarack website.

The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General’s office recently issued a scathing report about failures in Southwest Airlines’ safety practices and culture. The report also criticizes the Federal Aviation Administration’s inspectors and leaders assigned to monitor Southwest for lax and ineffective safety oversight of the airline.

John and Greg discuss the issues found at Southwest, and broaden the discussion to US air safety practices in general. Air safety has been so good for so long — are we getting dangerously complacent?

John and Greg discuss recent and historical incidents and lay out the need for a reinvigorated commitment to safety procedures.

The episode wraps with a new “What Would You Do” challenge that stems from the recent helicopter crash in California. If you were the pilot of a helicopter with a high-profile customer on board and deteriorating conditions, what would you do? Share your answer with John and Greg at flightsafetydetectives@gmail.com.

They have dissected the more than 300 pages of the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) final report on Lion Air Flight 610 and John and Greg reach a very different conclusion. The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was not the root cause, flight crew deficiencies are more likely the root cause.

Once again, John and Greg stick to the facts presented in the report. They find that those facts are twisted in the report analysis as well as media coverage. This leads to misplaced blame on the MCAS system and, worse, missed opportunities to improve aviation safety.

Calling the conclusion that MCAS was the cause a “leap of logic,” John and Greg instead look at documented issues with crew training and the direct parallels those issues have to what happened in the cockpit that fateful day.