I thought by now pilots—especially professional pilots—would know not to troubleshoot equipment problems in the air. Especially significant equipment problems. Everyone should know by now that the best place to troubleshoot is on the ground and when significant failures occur, land the aircraft as soon as possible. Recent events suggest this is a lesson worth repeating.
Reading the preliminary accident report of the Lion Air crash on October 29, 2018, I was shocked that the pilots on the flight before the fatal flight lost significant instruments in flight and yet did not make the decision to land immediately. While the cockpit voice recorder of the fatal flight has been recovered, its contents have not been released. However, the air traffic control tapes are available both for the accident flight and the earlier flight in the same Boeing 737 Max. Investigators are questioning whether the problems experienced on the fatal flight were related to problems that occurred on earlier flights and whether the problems were properly addressed by maintenance when the aircraft was released for service on its fatal journey. For that reason, the preliminary report has more detailed information on earlier flights than one would typically find.
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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