Episode Details

Michael Graham is the Vice Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, the independent federal agency responsible for investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States. Before joining the NTSB, he flew F-18 Hornets in the Navy, including combat deployments in the Gulf War, and later served as Director of Safety at a major aviation operation before being appointed to the board.

In this episode, Michael and Jason cover the DCA crash and why tons of data was being ignored long before it happened. They discuss the Kobe Bryant investigation and the real pattern the NTSB keeps seeing in the VFR helicopter community. They talk about what it actually means to have a living SMS versus one that sits on a shelf. And they get into the uncomfortable truth about charter broker regulation, or the complete lack of it.

Michael also shares what it was like to land an F-18 on a carrier at night in near-zero visibility, why he left the Navy at the peak of his career to be present for his sons, and the one thing he always told himself before every carrier launch, and what it means for every aviator flying today.

If you fly private, work in aviation, or care about safety culture, this is essential listening.