Three years ago last month I wrote a column for AIN on the safety risks caused by government officials downplaying risks. What prompted that article then was the novel criminal prosecution of Italian seismologists for downplaying the likelihood of a devastating earthquake in the tiny town of L’Aquila, resulting in inadequate preparations when one struck and the deaths of more than 300 people. According to the prosecution, there were a number of indicators of a major earthquake in the preceding months that the seismologists failed to convey adequately to the public.
Of course, my interest was in how the issue of downplaying risk related to aviation. In that article, I talked about the image forever in my mind of the press conference literally at the site of the watery grave of hundreds of ValuJet victims in the Everglades where the then Secretary of Transportation, flanked by the then FAA Administrator, reassured the public that ValuJet was a safe airline. Of course, those assurances were undercut only weeks later when the FAA issued an emergency order revoking ValuJet’s air carrier certificate. Eventually, information was revealed that indicated the FAA had known long before the fiery crash of ValuJet Flight 592 that much was wrong with the way the airline was being operated. A number of high-level officials lost their jobs in the wake of those revelations. I don’t mean that anyone actually got fired. But in the FAA way–pretty typical of government in general (note that the VA Hospital scandal has resulted in a few retirements but no punishments, to date)–high-level officials were pressured to take early retirements or transfer to less high-profile positions far from 800 Independence Ave, SW.
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.
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