I would bet that I am not the only one involved with aviation who has had emergency evacuations on his mind. Many of us watching the nightmare crash and sinking of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy in January were horrified by the unprofessional approach to evacuating the ship. It certainly seems from the news reports that the number of deaths and serious injuries was likely exacerbated by the chaotic nature of the ship’s evacuation.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone in charge was prepared to lead a full-scale evacuation of the ship. And while cruise ships lack the kind of regulatory oversight that aviation has had (after all, “flag of convenience” is really just a euphemism for “flag of no regulation”) are the FAA, aircraft manufacturers and the airlines doing all that should be done to ensure emergency evacuations run quickly and smoothly?
With more than 40 years experience in the aviation industry, The Honorable John Goglia, was the first and only Airframe and Powerplant mechanic to receive a presidential appointment to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). He served from August 1995 to June 2004.
As a Board Member, Mr. Goglia distinguished himself in numerous areas of transportation safety. In particular, he was instrumental in raising awareness of airport safety issues, including the importance of airport crash fire and rescue operations and the dangers of wildlife at airports. He played a key role in focusing international attention on the increasing significance of aircraft maintenance in aviation accidents. He pressed, successfully, for greater integration of civilian and military safety information, becoming a featured speaker at national aviation symposiums attended by military leaders and major defense contractors. He is a leading proponent of airplane child safety seats.
Prior to becoming a Board Member, Mr. Goglia held numerous positions in the airline industry. He started as a mechanic for United Airlines and eventually joined Allegheny, which became USAir. Additionally, he was involved for more than 20 years as a union flight safety representative on accident investigation teams. There, he developed a safety program for his union, the International Association of Machinists, and was its representative for NTSB investigations. For twelve years, he operated his own aircraft service company.
Numerous prestigious groups have recognized Mr. Goglia’s contributions to aviation safety. Aviation Week & Space Technology awarded him a coveted 2004 Laurel for his outstanding service as an NTSB Board member. The Society of Automotive Engineers presented him with the Aerospace Chair Award for outstanding leadership in 2003 and the Marvin Whitlock Award for outstanding management accomplishment in 2002.
