Air India 787 Crash Investigation: NTSB–India Standoff, Black Box Battle & Stunning Near Misses
NTSB News Talk – Aviation Accidents, Safety Investigations & Pilot LessonsShow Notes
Episode 18 begins with an extraordinary behind-the-scenes dispute surrounding the Air India Boeing 787 crash investigation. Max and Rob open with a Wall Street Journal report describing how U.S. technical experts arrived in Delhi last summer expecting to assist with the black-box analysis, only to be told they would need to board a late-night military flight to a remote facility. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy expressed concerns about U.S. personnel and equipment being moved into an area under State Department terrorism advisories, especially given rising tensions in the region. The NTSB pushed instead for data extraction either in Delhi or in Washington, triggering a rapid series of high-level calls involving the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Boeing, and GE Aerospace. Indian officials insisted they had full capability to download the recorders, yet simultaneously requested more than 30 pieces of specialized equipment from the NTSB, further complicating the diplomatic dynamics. Homendy ultimately issued a 48-hour ultimatum: select Delhi or Washington for the data download, or the U.S. would withdraw from the investigation entirely. India chose Delhi, but the episode highlights how political sensitivities can shape technical investigations—especially when early evidence, as reported, suggested the possibility of intentional fuel-cutoff switch manipulation. The hosts note that pilot-suicide scenarios, though rare, account for more fatal commercial accidents than many pilots realize, citing EgyptAir, Germanwings, Malaysia 370, and other historical cases. From the geopolitical, the episode shifts to more traditional NTSB investigations. A midair collision in Canada between a Cessna 172 and a Piper Seminole resulted in the 172 losing a wing and crashing, while the Seminole landed safely. Max shares the surprising statistic that roughly half of U.S. midair collision victims survive and recounts how a midair experienced by Cirrus co-founder Alan Klapmeier helped inspire the CAPS parachute system. The next story involves a Piper Arrow III that crashed during a nighttime arrival in Pittsfield, Illinois. The pilot had flown nearly five hours from Alabama—an exceptionally long time in that type of aircraft—and arrived as conditions were deteriorating to low visibility and a 300-foot overcast. Max emphasizes the difficulty of recognizing inadvertent IMC at night and discusses how fatigue and lack of instrument proficiency may become factors once more details emerge. A TBM 700 accident in Monroe, Wisconsin offers another sobering look at missed-approach challenges. With visibilities down to a quarter-mile and ceilings around 300 feet, the aircraft attempted a GPS approach to Runway 12, then initiated a missed approach. Instead of climbing outbound on the published track, radar data shows the aircraft turning prematurely, losing airspeed, and entering a stall and loss of control. Max highlights how even experienced instrument pilots often under-practice missed approaches in actual IMC, making it one of the most common fatal accident points in general aviation. The episode then examines a dramatic near-miss involving an Air Arabia Maroc Airbus A320 departing Catania, Italy. A ferry crew failed to load weight-and-balance data into the MCDU, meaning no V-speeds were computed. The aircraft rotated late, climbed shallowly, then descended toward the sea at night, triggering multiple GPWS warnings before the crew recovered at just 41 feet above the water. With moonless, dark-night conditions and no visual horizon, this oversight nearly resulted in a hull loss. Both pilots were highly experienced—proof that skipping basic procedures can endanger even seasoned crews. Next, Max and Rob turn to the UPS MD-11 engine-separation crash in Louisville. New preliminary findings show fatigue cracking in engine-pylon attachment lugs, reminiscent of the American Airlines DC-10 crash in 1979 where a maintenance procedure overstressed the pylon. The MD-11 fleet
More from NTSB News Talk – Aviation Accidents, Safety Investigations & Pilot Lessons
A Boeing 767 lands more than 3,700 feet down a Miami runway and overruns the pavement, killing five people on the ground. A Cirrus SR22 crashes during a second go-around, killing all five aboard. And a Cessna 421 loses both engines after being fueled with Jet A instead of avgas. In Episode 41 of NTSB News Talk, aviation safety experts Max Trescott and Rob Mark examine the critical decisions behind these accidents and the lessons pilots can take away. The newly released Miami Boeing 767 preliminary report raises serious questions about tailwinds, unstable approaches, airspeed warnings, and a go-around attempted far too late. A new NTSB final report on a fatal Cirrus SR22 crash at Kill Devil Hills reveals striking flight-data evidence of excessive pitch and an aerodynamic stall. The hosts also discuss Diamond DA40 crashed in mountainous terrain near Eldorado Springs, Colorado, a deadly Piper JetProp icing encounter over Wisconsin, a Gulfstream air ambulance crash following reported electrical problems, a Beech Bonanza fuel-starvation accident involving a congressman, a fatal nighttime Piper crash, and a midair collision between gliders. From fuel management and emergency procedures to stall prevention and go-around proficiency, this episode highlights a fundamental truth: even experienced pilots cannot afford to skip the basics.
Episode 40 examines a wide range of recent accidents before focusing on a troubling pattern: pilots flying with impairing OTC medications or drugs in their systems. Max Trescott and Rob Mark begin with a fatal nighttime crash of C-GPTX, a Cessna 172 in Saskatchewan and the runway overrun of Eclipse 500 N816KD at Auburn, California. They also discuss Beech Travel Air N529RB, which was flown in repeated low-level circles about 100 feet above the Pacific before crashing into the ocean, raising the possibility of an intentional act. Preliminary reports include Piper Seneca N212ML, lost near the Bahamas in convective weather; C-IFBY, a Para-Ski VX powered parachute carrying three people even though its U.S. operation did not qualify under Part 103; and Lake Amphibian N6185V, which apparently ran out of fuel just miles from Ithaca. Final reports include a fatal VFR-into-IMC accident involving N9626K, a Piper PA-28 and the crash of Ameriflight Beech C99 N130GP after a partial engine-power loss. The episode closes with four fatal-accident reports involving the active ingredients in Benadryl and Zyrtec, or cyclobenzaprine, cannabis, or morphine. The takeaway is simple: “over the counter” does not mean “safe to fly,” and pilots need to understand the FAA’s medication waiting-period guidance. Max also explains why medication effects can undermine a pilot’s own self-assessment.
New information from the NTSB is filling in the final seconds of the Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 crash in Miami. The agency’s summary of the cockpit voice recorder shows repeated concerns about excessive speed, followed by touchdown and then, 16 seconds later, a call for a go-around. The brakes were released at a ground speed of 120 knots and go-around thrust was applied before the attempt was abandoned. Recorded data showed no indication that the speed brakes or thrust reversers were deployed. Max Trescott also revisits his ADS-B analysis of Flight 7598 and explains why he believes an automation surprise involving the Boeing 767’s vertical modes may have contributed to the airplane becoming high and fast. Then Max and Rob Mark examine the fatal KNBC AS350B2 helicopter crash in Los Angeles, including ADS-B evidence and reports of a possible low-rotor-RPM warning. Other accidents include N734ZK, a Cessna 172N crash at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, N9485P, a fatal Piper Comanche accident at a short Alaska runway, N93R, a Lockheed 12A that took off with full flaps, a fuel-exhaustion accident involving N413AW, a Pipistrel Alpha, and N188PC, a Pilatus PC-12 loss of control in IMC. The episode closes with a story from the NASA ASRS Callback newsletter about a Cirrus pilot’s successful recovery from a dangerous distraction in instrument conditions.
An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 crashes after overrunning Runway 30 at Miami International Airport—and ADS-B data contains an important clue about how the approach became unstable. In this episode, we analyze the September 6 crash of Prime Air Flight 7598, operated by 21 Air with Boeing 767 N1997A. The flight from San Juan initially followed an almost perfect three-degree approach toward Miami. But approximately five miles from the runway, the aircraft unexpectedly leveled near 1,600 feet. The ADS-B data shows that 1,600 feet had been entered as the selected altitude much earlier in the descent. That raises the possibility of an automation surprise, although another possibility is that the crew leveled inadvertently after disconnecting the autopilot to hand-fly. The crew then attempted to recover using a descent approaching twice the normal glide angle. The 767 crossed the displaced threshold around 175 knots, apparently touched down near 160 knots, and was still traveling about 110 knots when it left the runway. We also examine a fatal PC-12 spatial-disorientation accident, new evidence of helicopter wake turbulence in a Cessna 150 collision, and a troubling student-pilot night CFIT accident involving a CFI cross-country endorsement. FAA No Go Over the Counter Medications List
In Episode 37 of NTSB News Talk, Max Trescott and Rob Mark examine new evidence from the fatal Learjet 55 air ambulance crash in Philadelphia and several other accidents with important lessons for pilots. Brought to you by AVEMCO aircraft insurance. Support Rob and Max by making a donation at Patreon.com The Learjet 55 departed Northeast Philadelphia Airport at night into a roughly 400-foot overcast. Newly released NTSB docket material shows the aircraft initially beginning its assigned right turn before slowly rolling left. The exceptionally gradual roll raises the possibility of somatogyral illusion—a form of spatial disorientation in which the inner ear may fail to detect slow rotational movement. Investigators also examined somatogravic illusion, cockpit workload, pitch trim, and the captain’s previous training history. Both engines appeared to be producing takeoff power, making an engine failure less likely. Max and Rob also discuss two wrong-runway landings near Chicago that illustrate continuation bias and task saturation. Other accidents include a Cirrus Vision Jet striking a pipe across a closed portion of a runway at Driggs, Idaho; a fatal Cessna 150 collision with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter; N1850N a Beechcraft Duchess accident during simulated single-engine training; and a photographer fatally struck by the wing of glider N8217W. Also, two wrong-runway landings near Chicago, N772MR (Envoy 3936) and N1128M Learjet 60. Those final incidents highlight a recurring human-factors problem: once pilots commit mentally to a plan, contradictory evidence can become surprisingly difficult to recognize.