NTSB News Talk – Aviation Accidents, Safety Investigations & Pilot Lessons
NTSB News Talk is a podcast that delves into aircraft accidents, safety investigations, and lessons for pilots. Hosted by aviation journalist Rob Mark and flight instructor Max Trescott, the show breaks down recent NTSB reports and analyzes accident causes. Each episode features expert commentary, real-world scenarios, and interviews with investigators and subject-matter experts. The podcast aims to inform pilots, instructors, and aviation enthusiasts about safety without sensationalism.
Episodes
Benadryl, Cannabis & the FAA No-Fly List: Fatal Lessons for Pilots
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 repea
Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 Crash Update: 120-Knot Go-Around Attempt & More Accidents
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 aba
Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 Crash in Miami: Flight 7598 ADS-B Analysis and More Accidents
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
Philadelphia Learjet 55 Crash: Spatial Disorientation Clues & Wrong-Runway Landings
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.comThe Learjet 55 departed Northeast Philadelphia Airport at night into a roughly 400-foot overcast.
Cirrus Takes a Swim, Aerostar Night Crash, Twin Comanche VMC Roll & More
In Episode 36 of NTSB News Talk, Max Trescott and Rob Mark examine a series of accidents that illustrate how quickly routine flights can unravel when pilots continue after the warning signs begin to accumulate.Brought to you by AVEMCO aircraft insurance.Support Rob and Max by making a donation at Patreon.comA Cessna 172, N1166F, crashes at night at Blackfoot, Idaho, after what appears to have been
N526FC Hawker 900XP Overrun at Telluride: 0° Flaps and a Tailwind
Max Trescott and Rob Mark examine the July 20, 2024 runway excursion of Hawker 900XP N526FC at Telluride Regional Airport. The crew planned a Runway 27 departure from an airport elevation of 9,069 feet, with density altitude above 11,200 feet and takeoff calculations using nearly all of the 7,111-foot runway. But the jet began its takeoff with the flaps retracted instead of set to the planned 15 d
Three Fuel Emergencies, a Boeing 737 Crash, and the Carb-Ice Myth
Max Trescott and Rob Mark review a mysterious Boeing 737 cargo crash, several fuel-related accidents, loss of control, and a dangerous carb-ice misconception. K2 Airways Flight KTA1732, Boeing 737-400F AP-BOI, reported a navigation problem before plunging into the Arabian Sea. The hosts analyze Beechcraft 95-A55 Baron N7501S after an apparent dual-engine failure near Lancaster, South Carolina, fol
Runway Close Calls, Skydiving Crashes, Citation Latitude Fatal Crash & Cirrus Icing CAPS Pull
Max Trescott and Rob Mark review a packed week of aviation safety events, beginning with two runway close calls. At Boston Logan, Delta Air Lines Flight 2351 went around after American Airlines Flight 3161 delayed its takeoff roll on an intersecting runway. At Miami, American Airlines Flight AA308, an Airbus A319, rejected takeoff after spotting NetJets Flight EJA434, an Embraer Phenom 300, N434QS
B-52 Crash, United 169 Light Pole Strike, Skydiving Tragedy, and Oshkosh Stall
Max Trescott and Rob Mark review major recent aviation accidents and newly released NTSB reports, beginning with two breaking accidents: a U.S. Air Force B-52 crash shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California, and a fatal skydiving aircraft crash near Butler, Missouri, involving N221BN, a Pacific Aerospace 750XL/P-750 operated for Skydive Kansas City. That accident killed the p
Piper PA-46 N85PG In-Flight Breakup, Westwind N1125A Crash + Other NTSB Reports
Max Trescott and Rob Mark review a new NTSB recommendations for the FAA’s Runway Condition Assessment Matrix after wet-runway overruns showed that heavy rain can sharply reduce braking effectiveness.Brought to you by AVEMCO aircraft insurance.Support Rob and Max by making a donation at Patreon.comThe episode then turns to several recent and preliminary accidents, including a Piper PA-28 N7188W los
Frontier A321 Accident, Cessna 421C Pickleball Crash & More
Max Trescott and Rob Mark discuss several recent aviation accidents and new NTSB reports, beginning with a tragic Frontier Airlines A321 accident at Denver International Airport, where a man entered the runway environment and was struck during takeoff. The crew rejected the takeoff at high speed, the right engine caught fire, and multiple passengers reported minor injuries.Brought to you by AVEMCO
LaGuardia Runway Collision, Challenger 600 Dual Engine Flameout, and More NTSB Accident Reports
Max Trescott and Rob Mark analyze the LaGuardia runway collision involving Jazz Flight 646 and an airport firetruck that was cleared to cross runway 4 shortly before the landing regional jet arrived. The discussion focuses on the timing of the crossing clearance, repeated stop instructions, the movement of the firetruck, and the runway entrance lights that extinguished just seconds before impact.
Piper Seminole Crash, Cirrus SR22 Hard Landing, Mooney Door-Pop Spin
Max talks with Rob Mark about a dense lineup of recent accidents and final reports, led by the Piper PA-44 Seminole N595ND crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, the Cirrus SR22 N124SP hard landing in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Mooney M20K N4387W stall-spin in St. Augustine, Florida, after a cabin door popped open shortly after takeoff. They also examine the Beech 58 Baron N2063G crash in Tennessee, whi
Cirrus CAPS Save, Go-Around Stall, Advisory Glidepath Trap
Max Trescott and Rob Mark talk about how pilots get into trouble when they misunderstand instrument procedures, mishandle a go-around, or make shockingly poor decisions on the ground and in the air. They open with Max’s unusual call from the NTSB, which asked him to discuss advisory glidepath guidance, the “+V” vertical path shown on some nonprecision approaches. That leads to a sharp discussion o
LaGuardia Plane Crash Into Fire Truck + Rob Mark on Losing a Pilot Friend
Max Trescott and Rob Mark open with the crash at LaGuardia, where an Air Canada regional jet collided with a fire truck while landing. They examine how a separate emergency, possible controller overload, combined frequencies, and the loss of a second set of eyes may have lined up in a classic Swiss-cheese chain of events. It’s a sobering look at runway-incursion risk, situational overload, and why
TNFlyGirl Debonair Crash: Autopilot/Trim PIO + Icing & Night IMC
In episode 25 of NTSB News Talk, Max Trescott and Rob Mark break down seven NTSB reports with a common theme: the accident often starts long before the impact.Brought to you by AVEMCO aircraft insurance.Support Rob and Max by making a donation at Patreon.comThey begin with an experimental Carbon Cub (N126C) that appears to have struck power lines during very low flight along the Payette River near
Bering Air Flight 445 Crash: Cessna 208B Caravan Icing and Overweight + Other Accidents
Max Trescott talks with co-host Rob Mark about new docket details on Bering Air Flight 445—a Part 135 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N321BA—that crashed near Nome, Alaska after a troubling sequence of weight, icing, and airspeed issues. They discuss how overweight loading, Alaska-specific operating allowances, and confusing “minimum speed in ice” guidance can combine to erase stall margin fast. The Pr
Reagan National (DCA) Midair Collision Probable Cause + Greg Biffle Citation 550 Preliminary Report
Max talks with co-host Rob Mark about two headline-making NTSB threads: the DCA midair collision and the preliminary report on the Greg Biffle crash. First, they react to the NTSB’s day-long public hearing on the DCA midair and the board’s newly adopted probable-cause statement—an unusually long, multi-factor finding that points toward fixes in airspace design, controller procedures, ADS-B policy,
Bangor Maine Challenger 650 Jet Crash (N10KJ): Icing, Deicing & NTSB Investigation
Max Trescott and Rob Mark talk about the Bangor, Maine Bombardier Challenger 650 crash (N10KJ)—a major breaking story—and what the earliest discussion points usually look like before investigators have hard answers. They outline why takeoff accidents in winter conditions immediately raise questions about contamination, deicing decisions, holdover time, and whether ice or snow could have been prese
Hawker Stall-Test Crashes: Urgent NTSB Action + NOTAM Slackline Tragedy
Max Trescott and Rob Mark connect a string of very different accidents with one shared theme: safety margin usually disappears one “reasonable” choice at a time—until the airplane (or the environment) collects the debt.They open with a major development: the NTSB’s urgent recommendation to Textron after two fatal post-maintenance stall test flights in Hawker business jets. Max and Rob explain why
Garmin Autoland Emergency Landing: First King Air Save (Max Heard It Live)
Episode 20 of NTSB News Talk opens with an aviation milestone: the first confirmed in-service, real-world use of Garmin’s Autoland. A King Air B200, tail number N479BR, squawked 7700 and ultimately landed itself at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC) in Broomfield, Colorado on Saturday, December 20, 2025. Garmin later confirmed the activation, and ATC audio captured the synthetic callouts d
Citation 550 Crash in Statesville NC Kills NASCAR Driver Greg Biffle and Family
Max talks with Rob Mark about the fatal crash of a Citation 550 in Statesville, North Carolina, that killed six people, including a NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and members of his family. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff, making it one of the most closely watched aviation tragedies of the week and a focal point of this episode.Preliminary information indicates the Citation 550 departed Run
Air India 787 Crash Investigation: NTSB–India Standoff, Black Box Battle & Stunning Near Misses
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 Jennif
Trim Runaways, CAPS Saves, and Why IFR Pilots Still Lose Control: Lessons from This Week’s NTSB Reports
Episode 17 of NTSB News Talk brings together an unusually rich set of accidents and safety insights, all centered on pilot decision-making, trim system failures, swept-wing stall risks, and the ongoing challenge of hand-flying in IMC when automation misbehaves. In this week’s discussion, hosts Max Trescott and Rob Mark use recent NTSB reports to highlight the mistakes, mechanical failures, and cha
Fatal Pilot Errors: How Common Medications Led to Deadly Crashes
Max Trescott and Rob Mark explore one of the most overlooked killers in aviation: common medications that quietly impair pilots and contribute to fatal crashes. While many aviators think over-the-counter or prescription drugs are safe if they “feel fine,” the NTSB’s recent accident reports tell a different story. In case after case, pilots who ignored FAA medication rules—or failed to understand t
ADS-B In Mandate, Hawker Stall Test Crash, Erie LSA Wind Shear, and Four More Fatal Accidents
In Episode 15 of NTSB News Talk, co-hosts Rob Mark and Max Trescott examine a week filled with new legislation and a series of tragic accidents that highlight recurring lessons in aviation safety and human factors.The show opens with the Senate Commerce Committee’s new bipartisan aviation safety bill, which—if passed—would close the ADS-B loophole that allows certain military aircraft to operate w
Weather, Airspeed, and Avoidable Tragedies: NTSB Lessons from LAX to Lake Placid
In Episode 14 of NTSB News Talk, hosts Max Trescott and Rob Mark analyze a series of recent NTSB preliminary and final reports that reveal how weather, fatigue, distraction, and airspeed management continue to play major roles in both near misses and fatal crashes. With their characteristic mix of insight and practicality, the two veteran aviation journalists connect the dots between accidents tha
NTSB Board Member Michael Graham on Safety Culture, SMS, and GA Risks
In this episode of NTSB News Talk, hosts Max Trescott and Rob Mark welcome Michael Graham, a current member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), for a deep discussion on the agency’s work and the broader state of aviation safetyGraham begins by clarifying the role of NTSB board members, often misunderstood as investigators. While trained in accident investigation, board members func
NTSB Lessons: Electrical Failures, Go-Around Traps, and the Murrieta Citation Crash
Episode 12 of NTSB News Talk with hosts Max Trescott and Rob Mark delivers a comprehensive discussion of recent accidents, preliminary findings, and final NTSB reports, highlighting recurring safety themes for GA pilots.The episode begins with the White House nomination of American Airlines captain John DeLouv to the NTSB board, and an invitation for listeners to suggest questions for an upcoming
B-52 Close Call at Minot, Midair in Colorado, and Jammed Flight Controls
Max talks with Rob Mark about the latest NTSB cases and safety lessons for pilots. They begin with new details on the B-52 near miss at Minot, North Dakota, where the bomber nearly collided with both a regional jet and a Piper Archer. The tower controller, working alone without radar support, became overwhelmed and failed to advise the B-52 crew of conflicting traffic. At one point, he even issued
NTSB Accident Reports: TBM & King Air Loss of Control
In Episode 10 of NTSB News Talk, aviation safety experts Max Trescott and Rob Mark examine recent accident reports that reinforce why loss of control in flight continues to be the number one cause of fatalities in general aviation. Drawing from official NTSB accident reports and preliminary findings, they analyze crashes involving a TBM turboprop in Montana, a Beechcraft King Air in Arizona, and o
Reagan National Midair NTSB Hearing Day 3: Collision Avoidance & Safety Culture
On this episode of NTSB News Talk, Max Trescott covers the third and final day of the NTSB’s investigative hearing into the January 2024 midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport between a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 and a U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk. Day 3 featured Panel 4: Collision Avoidance Technology and Panel 5: Safety Data and Safety Management Systems.The hearing opened with spat
Reagan National Midair NTSB Hearing Day 2: Army Black Hawk & CRJ-700 Testimony
Max Trescott plays audio clips from Day 2 of the NTSB investigative hearing on the midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport between a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 and a U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk. This day focused exclusively on Panel 3: Training, Guidance, and Procedures Applicable to DCA Air Traffic Control, revealing systemic issues that shaped the events leading to the accident.A ma
Reagan National Midair NTSB Hearing Day 1: Army Black Hawk & Regional Jet Crash Testimony
Max Trescott takes listeners deep inside Day 1 of the NTSB’s investigative hearing into the tragic midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport between a PSA Airlines CRJ-700 and a U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter. The accident claimed the lives of 67 people, including the crew of both aircraft, and has become one of the most scrutinized airspace safety failures in recent histo
NTSB: Delta B-52 Close Call and Runway Incursion at Mexico City
Max and Rob bring listeners a packed episode of aviation safety lessons anchored by the NTSB. They begin with the Board’s announcement of a three-day investigative hearing into the Reagan National midair between a regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter. Rob dives into a dramatic close call in North Dakota, where a Delta Regional Jet on final narrowly avoided a B-52 bomber crossing its flight path
SR22 Electrical Failure Crash; Air India Fuel Switches, Cessna 240 Crashes into Pacific
Max Trescott and Rob Mark return for episode five of NTSB News Talk with a full slate of recent accidents and preliminary reports that highlight critical lessons in decision-making, mechanical failure, and situational awareness.They start with the tragic crash of a Cirrus SR22 in North Carolina that killed a family of four. The aircraft had experienced electrical issues early in the flight, and de
Air India 787 Crash, 737 MAX Engine Smoke, and Recent NTSB Reports
Max Trescott and Rob Mark return for Episode 4 of NTSB News Talk with critical analysis and commentary on recent aviation accidents and safety investigations. The show kicks off with an update on the fatal Air India Flight 171 crash involving a Boeing 787, which resulted in 241 onboard deaths and 19 fatalities on the ground. A single survivor remains, and while early speculation surrounds the Ram
Air India crash, Miracle in Toronto, N414BA San Diego crash and more accidents
In this densely packed episode of NTSB News Talk, Max Trescott and Rob Mark discuss several major aviation accidents—ranging from high-profile international crashes to domestic general aviation incidents—emphasizing a recurring theme: loss of control due to distraction, poor decision-making, or misinterpretation of situational cues.The show opens with breaking news: a catastrophic crash of an Air
Fly the Plane: Distractions, Doors, and Darkness
In this episode of NTSB News Talk, hosts Max Trescott and Rob Mark explore a series of recent general aviation accidents that underscore persistent issues around loss of control, distraction, weather misjudgment, and pilot training. The discussion is framed around several preliminary NTSB reports, each presenting scenarios where pilots encountered challenging situations and, in many cases, failed
N611VG Unpacking the Fatal Citation Jet Crash Caused by Cabin Decompression
Max Trescott and Rob Mark launch the first episode of NTSB News Talk, diving into NTSB agency news, recent accidents and newly published NTSB reports to help pilots better understand accident causes and improve decision-making in the cockpit.They begin with a surprising administrative shake-up: the unexplained termination of NTSB Vice Chairman Alvin Brown. Rob questions the lack of transparency, p
NTSB News Talk Trailer
NTSB News Talk is your go-to podcast for in-depth discussions of aircraft accidents, investigations, and the lessons pilots can’t afford to ignore. Hosted by award-winning aviation journalist Rob Mark and Max Trescott, a CFI who has trained as an accident investigator, this show breaks down recent NTSB reports, analyzes accident causes, and explores what every pilot, instructor, and aviation enthu
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