In this episode of Aviation Masters, Mike Busch sits down with Bruce Landsberg—former NTSB Vice Chairman, longtime president of the AOPA Air Safety Institute, and author of the new book Learning from Icarus—for an extraordinary conversation spanning nearly 50 years of aviation safety experience.

From his early days as a Cessna demo pilot to pioneering simulator training at FlightSafety, leading accident investigations at the NTSB, and analyzing the future of automation in aviation, Bruce shares hard-won insights that every pilot, owner, and aviation professional needs to hear.

This episode covers single-engine emergencies in twins, the value of realistic training, accident investigation philosophy, weather-related crashes, the promise and pitfalls of automation, and why learning from past mistakes is the key to staying alive in aviation.

⏱ Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: 40 Years of Friendship & Aviation Safety

03:00 – The Reality Check: Twin Engine Failures in the Simulator vs. Real Life

08:00 – Growing Up in Washington DC & Getting Into Aviation

12:00 – Vietnam, Air Force ROTC & Learning to Fly at College Park

18:00 – From Psychology Major to Professional Pilot

23:00 – Cessna Aircraft Company & Selling Fleets to Flight Schools

28:00 – The 310 Demo Flight That Changed Everything

35:00 – Moving to FlightSafety & The Revolution in Simulator Training

42:00 – Why Simulators Teach What Aircraft Can't

48:00 – Transitioning to AOPA & The Air Safety Foundation

55:00 – Building the ASI: Philosophy, Programs & Outreach

1:02:00 – JFK Jr.'s Fatal Crash: What Really Happened

1:09:00 – Spatial Disorientation, VFR Into IMC & The "What Was He Thinking?" Question

1:17:00 – Joining the NTSB: From Advocacy to Investigation

1:25:00 – Inside NTSB Accident Investigations: Process, Politics & Public Perception

1:33:00 – The Colgan 3407 Crash: Fatigue, Training & Industry Change

1:42:00 – Weather Accidents: Why Smart Pilots Still Fly Into Storms

1:49:00 – Icing, Convective Weather & The Role of Get-There-Itis

1:56:00 – Automation in Aviation: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

2:03:00 – Tesla Autopilot, AI & What Aviation Can Learn from Automotive

2:09:00 – The Future: Flight Data Monitoring for GA Aircraft

2:15:00 – Learning from Icarus: Writing the Book & Key Takeaways

2:21:00 – Where to Get the Book & Final Thoughts

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🔗 Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Bruce Landsberg's Book: Learning from Icarus – https://learningfromicarus.com/
Email: learningfromicarus@gmail.com

Books by Mike Busch: https://www.savvyaviation.com/resources/#books