Vintage airframes are creating modern-day safety issues. Todd Curtis and John Goglia discuss the recent P63 -B17 crash at a Texas air show as one example. They also examine a 2020 crash of a Vietnam era UH-1H helicopter that crashed during fire suppression operations.

The Flight safety Detectives talk about the challenges of keeping older airframes safe. Metal ages and fatigues. Maintenance records are less clear. The people with in-depth experience with these aircraft become scarce.

They talk about the many facets the FAA will need to consider as the agency reassesses the proper use of old war birds and other vintage airframes for non-commercial uses.

They also discuss the acceptability of risks associated with airshow aircraft and firefighting aircraft.

Related document: NTSB Accident Number WPR20LA211 Report (PDF)

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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.

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