A pilot lost engine power in his single engine plane shortly after takeoff. He did a controlled ditch into the Pacific. The plane is largely intact, yet the pilot and his passenger die. The Flight Safety Detectives dig into the NTSB final report of the Peter Tomarken air crash to look at how this event could have been survived.
TV personality Peter Tomarken and his wife Kathleen were killed when his Beechcraft Bonanza A36 crashed a few hundred feet offshore in Santa Monica Bay in March 2006. The aircraft lost power shortly after takeoff. Eyewitness statements indicate he was able to perform a controlled ditch into the bay.
Greg, John and Todd look into the NTSB finding of a missing engine cotter pin. The report lacks details about when this may have happened, recent maintenance procedures followed or inspection processes used. These are essential to help maintenance personnel learn from this event.
The docket includes medical findings of blunt force trauma to the victims and drugs found in the pilot’s system. The effect of the drugs on the pilot’s decision-making is not clear. The role that shoulder harnesses and/or helmets could have played in protecting the people onboard is also omitted.
Hear why the Flight Safety Detectives recommend that all older aircraft have shoulder harnesses mounted to the airframe and why every small craft pilot should wear a helmet.
Getting Serious About UAP Sightings – Episode 187
Too Many Plane Crashes Caused by Flight Instructor Error – Episode 186
UAPs Pose Flight Safety Threats – Episode 181
Medical Helicopter Crashes Show Aviation Safety Risks – Episode 185
Accident Kills Entire Reba McEntire Band – Episode 184
Gender Reveal Plane Crash Kills One, Bad Parts Back in Circulation – Episode 183
A Model for Investigating UAP Events – Episode 182
Fun Leads to Tragedy for Famous Composer James Horner – Episode 180
Aviation Thrill Seekers Beware – Episode 179
The Aviation Disaster that Ended an Empire – Episode 178
Carbon Fiber in the Air and Under the Sea – Episode 177
NYC Air Crash Shows Danger of Wing Contamination – Episode 176
Charter Flight Safety Boosted with Part 135 Certification Rules – Episode 175
Aviation Safety Lessons from First Flight into a Special Use Airport – Episode 174
Aircraft Cargo Door Headaches – Episode 173
Flight Plan Creates Aviation Safety Risks – Episode 172
John Goglia’s Unique Insight into USAir Plane Crash – Episode 171
Keith Green Plane Crash Shows Value of Accident Investigation – Episode 170
Small Hardware Causes Big Aviation Safety Problems – Episode 169
Aviation Maintenance & Real-World Safety – Episode 168
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