Episode 41 - End of a Long Day and Weather Add Up to Disaster

Greg and John examine the transcript of the cockpit voice recorder from American Flight 1420, a MD-80 that crashed at Little Rock Airport in 1999. Greg served as the NTSB investigator in charge (IIC) and John was part of the headquarters support team. The 30-min recording reveals the pilots were racing the weather as well as fatigue from a long workday. John and Greg walk through the conversation reflected in the recording, highlighting how different decisions could have changed the deadly outcome. They offer insights beyond the words of the transcript. What isn’t said and done is as compelling as what is documented in the CVR. Greg and John discuss the process of looking at the aftermath to determine the cause and what could be learned. Findings led to checklist and operational procedures changes as well as configuration updates at the Little Rock airport. 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.