Episodes

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 interview with a board member. The first accident examined is a Lancair Super ES crash near San J...

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 incorrect altitude and heading clearances. Though everyone avoided contact, the case illustrates th...

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 other cases where night flying illusions and equipment failures played a decisive role. TBM Crash in...

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 spatial disorientation testimony and interviews with Army pilots about Route 4 altitude protections th...

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 major theme was visual separation. Testimony explored the difference between pilot-applied and tower...

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 history. In this episode of NTSB News Talk, Max distills over ten hours of testimony into 18 critical cli...

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 near Minot. The incident exposes communication gaps, contract tower limitations, and the critical n...

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 despite indications of ongoing problems, the pilot chose to continue to the destination rather than ...

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 Turbine deployment and potential engine failure, official conclusions await India's preliminary ...

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 India Boeing 787 Dreamliner shortly after takeoff, killing 240 of the 241 people on board. Notably...

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 to maintain control of their aircraft. They begin with the crash of a Rockwell Commander 114A in Ha...

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, pointing out how an independent agency like the NTSB should not be subject to political scapegoatin...

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 enthusiast can learn from these events. Whether you’re a student pilot, airline captain, or simply fasci...