Lax Maintenance Practices Kills 2 in Cessna Crash - Episode 254

Lax oversight by the FAA and questionable maintenance practices by both a flight school and the previous owner of a Cessna 172P aircraft led to a fatal plane crash. The Flight Safety Detectives find this is another aviation disaster that could have been avoided. The NTSB report points to a corroded aileron control cable that failed just after takeoff as the cause of the event. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia discuss the circumstances that led to the crash, killing a student and an instructor. The aircraft involved had been sitting idle for about a year before a flight school purchased it. The original maintenance manual had been lost, and a partial maintenance record was provided to the new owner. Incomplete maintenance logbooks should have prompted a reasonable potential owner to conduct an extensive inspection to uncover issues with the aircraft, yet none was done. The NTSB report does not mention any efforts taken to find maintenance-related records at FAA or elsewhere, actions that would have been reasonable. A pre-buy inspection was done less than a month before the accident. Although some issues were noted, the inspection failed to identify extensive aileron cable corrosion. Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel , listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website . Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety. Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com . Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.