Gregory Feith is a former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Senior Air Safety Investigator and “Go-Team” Captain. He has investigated well over 2500 general aviation, business/corporate and air transport (commercial air carrier) aircraft incidents and accidents worldwide during his 43 years as an aircraft accident investigator, Air Safety Consultant and Aviation Safety Expert. Greg spent more than 21 years with the NTSB, serving as the Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) or U.S. Accredited Representative for the investigation of numerous high profile aircraft accidents which included the Valujet DC-9 in-flight fire in the Florida Everglades; the American Eagle ATR 72 in-flight icing crash at Roselawn, Indiana, the Korean Air Boeing 747-300 CFIT crash at Guam, the American Airlines MD-83 runway overrun at Little Rock, and numerous other notable accidents world-wide. He led a team of mountain climbers and sherpas to 21,000 feet on Mt. Illimani in Bolivia to investigate the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 980, the highest aviation controlled-flight into terrain (CFIT) accident in history.
Greg received a BS degree in Aeronautical Studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and holds Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and Instrument Instructor (CFII) certificates as well as Advanced and Instrument Ground Instructor and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) certificates. He has won numerous NTSB and aviation industry awards including the Aviation Week and Space Technology Laurel Award in 1996 for his leadership in the investigation of the ValuJet DC-9 crash, the 2001 ERAU Distinguished Alumni Award for “extraordinary distinction and success in the field of aviation and achievements;” and the SAFE Association, Michael R. Grost Award for “outstanding contribution in the field of accident investigation.”
Greg and his long-time colleague John Goglia cohost the increasingly popular podcast/YouTube Channel show, Flight Safety Detectives. In addition, he is the co-inventor of LapKidz (LapKidz.com), an aviation child safety restraint (ACSD) device for infant/toddlers under the age of 24 months that are used to restrain lap children on general aviation and commercial aircraft.
As a safety advocate, Greg sits on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), the Aviation Emergency Response Organization (AERO), as well as the General Aviation Awards (GAA), and the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA). He conducts safety lectures world-wide as well as serving as a guest instructor in various aviation venues including his alma mater ERAU. He regularly appears in a variety of aviation safety-related television programs such as Air Crash Investigations, Seconds to Disaster, and Why Airplanes Crash and provides commentary for various major news networks. He was awarded a National Emmy for his expertise as part of the NBC News team coverage of the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 Shootdown. In addition to Greg’s recognition as an expert in the field of Aviation and Aerospace Safety, he was inducted in January 2016 into the Living Legends of Aviation, an elite group of professionals who have made significant contributions to the Aviation and Aerospace industries.
Greg is an avid general aviation pilot and calls Golden, Colorado home. However, he spends a good majority of his time navigating through airports and traveling on the world’s safest mode of transportation.
See how several flight instruction accidents arose from a lack of operational discipline, complacency, or lack of knowledge – putting both the CFI and student in danger.