About this episode
Major League Baseball player Cory Lidle was killed when he flew his Cirrus SR20 into a building alongside the East River in New York. The accident shows the consequences of failure to do preflight planning and poor aeronautical decision making. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith, and John Goglia discuss the circumstances around the October 11, 2006 crash. The aircraft was on a VFR flight beneath the Class B airspace around Manhattan Island. Lidle and his passenger, who was a certificated instructor pilot, were unable to negotiate a turn over the East River, and were killed after striking a building. They talk about the need for flight planning to deal with the challenging circumstances presented by wind, tall buildings and restricted air space. Calling the conditions challenging but not impossible, they focus on many options to avoid the fatal crash. This NTSB report on this accident is full of detail. Investigators, along with the Flight Safety Detectives, were left puzzled by why the pilot did not take advantage of options available to avoid the crash. Related documents: NTSB Accident Brief: Lidle_SR20_2006_brief.pdf FAA AC 60-22 Aeronautical Decision Making: FAA-AC 60-22 - Aeronautical Decision Making 1991-12-31 PUBLIC DOCKET: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=64679 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 . Music License Codes: ASLC-2042A62C-B9C4CBFFD, ASLC-1F1B3E23-E378DB5384 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.