Danny Jones Podcast #362: Navy Pilot Breaks Down New MH370 Search, Ghost Planes & Surviving 9/11 | Captain Steeeve

Date: January 9, 2026
Guest: Captain Steeeve (Retired U.S. Navy & Commercial Pilot, Aviation YouTuber)

Episode Overview

In this wide-ranging episode, Danny Jones sits down with Captain Steeeve, a seasoned Navy and commercial airline pilot, to unpack everything from pilot retirement rules and the mental health challenges of aviation to technical deep-dives about MH370, cockpit security, “ghost plane” scenarios, the psychological impact of 9/11, and pilot perspectives on UFOs and flying myths. With a blend of humor, candor, and technical clarity, Steeeve shares incredible personal stories and provides expert insights on aviation’s biggest mysteries, disasters, and misconceptions.

The Reality of Being a Career Pilot

Mandatory Retirement at 65

Rules & Frustrations:
- U.S. law enforces retirement for airline pilots at age 65 (previously 60).
  - "When you turn 65, Congress fires you. It’s the only non-government job that has a required retirement age." — Captain Steeeve (00:12)
- Cognitive fitness is maintained by recurrent (bi-annual) medical exams and 9-month checkrides.
- Age limit is a relic of 1959 when the American Airlines CEO and the FAA head made it law to save money, not for safety.

Occupational Hazards: Mental Health & Addiction

Job stressors: irregular hours, constant travel, jet lag, poor nutrition, and disruption of family life.
"Alcoholism and depression are the two biggies. And those show up in much younger pilots… if you haven’t developed a drinking problem by your 60s, you’re probably not going to." (01:20)
Pilots are creatures of habit; the absence of routine can destabilize mental health.

Military Aviation Experience: Sub-Hunting and Cold War Drills

Life as a US Navy Pilot

Started as a total aviation novice — “Never been in a plane before the military.”
Flew the P-3 Orion, an anti-submarine aircraft, tracking Soviet subs using sonobuoys and microphones.
Tasked with “Smooth Touch” drills: simulated, high-pressure missions to target nuclear-armed subs within 30 minutes of an alert (11:00).

Nuclear Scenario Drills & The Doomsday Plane

The constant Cold War threat kept pilots sharp and deeply aware of “launch on warning” policies (13:10).
Discusses E-4B “Doomsday Plane” for government continuity during a nuclear attack.
"Submarines are the ones that would last longest, because they're underwater and fueled by nuclear power." (15:40)

Why Aviation Tech "Hasn’t Changed"—But Has

Commercial airliners have evolved slowly; major changes are safety, materials, and reliability, not speed (17:46).
Concorde represented “halo” prestige, not commercial viability. The crash in 2000 killed supersonic travel—for now.
The Boeing 787’s carbon fiber and flexible wings are the exceptions (22:16).
- "When the 787 takes off, the wings bend way up—it's meant to, like a bird." (22:51)

Aircraft Design Fails and Automation

Boeing 737 MAX Crisis (23:16—26:43)

Explanation of the MAX software fiasco: engine repositioning affected aerodynamics, a software fix led to fatal crashes.
Boeing vs. Airbus:
- "Airbus is a computer that has an airplane attached, Boeing is an airplane with a computer assisting… you can always override the computer on a Boeing." (25:14)

AI and Future Cockpits

AI assists are coming but full pilotless flights are unlikely for safety, redundancy, and public trust reasons.
"You can’t pull over in the sky and call for help like a self-driving car." (27:00)
Creative (and tongue-in-cheek) proposal: “Pilot in Dallas” or remote backup co-pilots to prevent hijacking and provide redundancy, balanced by new vulnerabilities.

9/11: A Personal Brush with Fate

[39:00—47:00] Steeeve’s 9/11 Story

Was scheduled as First Officer on American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001—the first plane hijacked.
Another pilot picked up the trip last minute for extra pay—“borrowed time” ever since.
- "I can mark on the calendar when I should have died, and I didn’t. So the rest of my life has been marked by, ‘let’s make the most out of this thing that I can.’" (41:16)
Post-9/11, piloting forever changed: stronger cockpit doors, new security protocols, a shift in awareness and training.

Training for Emergencies

Old hijack model: take hostages, make demands—now, passengers and crew assume the worst and resist.
Cockpit security is strong but not flawless: "Secondary barriers would be a $50 fix, but airlines resisted for years." (31:06)

Aviation Disasters & Conspiracy Theories

MH370: What Happened?

[56:20—65:30] Detailed breakdown:

Dismisses dramatic theories (stolen for terrorism, UFOs, etc.)
Most likely explanations:
- Mechanical/Fire: Out-of-control fire disables electronics/transponder but engines keep running—a "ghost flight" until fuel runs out.
- Pilot Suicide: Pilot locks out co-pilot, depressurizes cabin, everyone (except pilot on oxygen) loses consciousness; plane flies until fuel runs out.
"That airplane is probably down at the bottom of a very deep ocean. So deep they’ll never find it." (57:13)
Advocates for floatable, satellite-linked black boxes, but cost is a blocker.
Debates “zombie flight” and the actual evidence for deliberate action.

“Ghost Planes” and Accidental Joyrides

Recounts bizarre true stories: unqualified joyrider, political protest flights, and creative air traffic control interventions (34:15–35:51).

UFOs, "Ghost Planes," Bermuda Triangle & Flying Myths

Do Pilots See UFOs?

Frequently asked by passengers—always "just out of reach," usually explained by parallax, lights, or camera/lens anomalies.
Video analysis: Most UFO "orbs" are boats, navigation lights, or optical illusions on the horizon.
- "It’s always just beyond our comprehension or just beyond our reach." (73:42)
Debunks famous UFO pilot encounter stories as likely misinterpretation/parallax.

Flat Earth, Flight Paths & Map Oddities

Flat Earth questions abound; technical explanations for “great circle” routes confuse many lay travelers.
"If the Earth was flat, the cats would have pushed all of us off the edge at some point." (66:06)

Bermuda Triangle

“I was into that as a kid… it’s simply the busiest corridor for air traffic and shipping. Odds are, more incidents happen there." (109:06)
No instrument anomalies or personal experiences—myth more than reality.

Aviation Safety: Turbulence, Crashes, and Misconceptions

Turbulence

"Annoying, rarely dangerous." (99:41)
Planes built to withstand far more force than encountered. Tumultuous “Aloha Airlines” example due to corrosion, not turbulence (101:11).
Best advice: Keep your seatbelt buckled at all times—rare accidents can launch you.

Crashes, Engine Failures, "Where Should I Sit?"

Each crash is unique; no universally “safest seat.”
Takeoff is riskiest part of flight due to weight and minimum margin for error:
- "Taking off is the most precarious because your thrust is all the way up and you're the heaviest you'll ever be." (80:57)
Recalls personal near-death experiences in military aircraft and the importance of post-trauma mental health breaks (89:00–94:45).

The Human Side: Public Perception, Social Media Influence, and Living in the Spotlight

From Cockpit to YouTube

Big surprise: public’s intense curiosity and anxiety about flying, disasters, and pilot mindset.
“Now we have a voice in the space and people tune in because they want to know what Captain Steve thinks about something. And that really solidified with the Air India crash... all the major news agencies started showing that picture [of the deployed RAT] that we put up first.” (114:45)
Describes the responsibility and journalistic standards he holds as an aviation influencer.
His YouTube signoff “Captain Steeeve”—an in-joke inspired by an enthusiastic Milanese barista.

Memorable Quotes

On living with fate post-9/11:
"There’s an empty space where a feeling should be… you can’t get angry, you can’t get sad. It’s just a vacant feeling." (41:17)
On pilot overload and automation:
"You're talking about two dimensions (in a car) as opposed to three. You can’t just pull over and shut down in an airplane." (27:00)
On public misunderstanding:
"Most of the stuff, especially aviation related, is 80 to 90% wrong in the media. They have no idea what they’re talking about." (61:00)
On flying being safe:
"Every day—104,000 takeoffs and landings worldwide. Air travel has never been safer." (105:45)
On the ‘Bermuda Triangle’:
"All I know is it’s an extremely dense area for air traffic... Name it the Bermuda Triangle, and all of a sudden, you’re reading something into it that’s not really there." (109:10)

Key Timestamps

00:10–06:00: Pilot retirement rules, mental health, and substance abuse in aviation.
09:12–16:02: Navy sub-hunting; life in Cold War aviation.
23:16–26:43: Boeing 737 MAX incident breakdown.
39:00–47:00: Steeeve’s 9/11 near-miss, effects on flying and security.
56:20–65:30: MH370: technical analysis, conspiracy theories, possible explanations.
73:41–76:20: UFO reports—debunked with science and pilot experience.
80:56–86:49: Dangers in flight—takeoffs, emergencies, mental preparedness.
99:26–104:03: Turbulence myths, aircraft structural safety, seatbelt and seat safety.
114:45–118:21: Being an aviation YouTuber, journalistic responsibility, breaking news on Air India crash.
129:07–130:17: On the risk-taking Apollo era and the future of space flight.

Where to Find Captain Steeeve

YouTube: @CaptainStEeeve (three E’s, inspired by enthusiastic Milanese coffee host Rafiq)
Shorts, breakdowns, and aviation Q&A on trending crashes/incidents

Final Thoughts

Captain Steeeve brings clarity and much-needed skepticism to pilot myths, crash conspiracies, and UFO folklore, all while sharing his uniquely close brush with aviation history on 9/11. With warmth, technical detail, and dry humor, he both reassures and fascinates with the realities of flying—past, present, and future.

For further content and community Q&A, listeners are encouraged to check out the Patreon for bonus segments with Captain Steeeve.

Danny Jones Podcast #362: Navy Pilot Breaks Down New MH370 Search, Ghost Planes & Surviving 9/11 | Captain Steeeve

Date: January 9, 2026
Guest: Captain Steeeve (Retired U.S. Navy & Commercial Pilot, Aviation YouTuber)

Episode Overview

The Reality of Being a Career Pilot

Mandatory Retirement at 65

Rules & Frustrations:
- U.S. law enforces retirement for airline pilots at age 65 (previously 60).
  - "When you turn 65, Congress fires you. It’s the only non-government job that has a required retirement age." — Captain Steeeve (00:12)
- Cognitive fitness is maintained by recurrent (bi-annual) medical exams and 9-month checkrides.
- Age limit is a relic of 1959 when the American Airlines CEO and the FAA head made it law to save money, not for safety.

Occupational Hazards: Mental Health & Addiction

Job stressors: irregular hours, constant travel, jet lag, poor nutrition, and disruption of family life.
"Alcoholism and depression are the two biggies. And those show up in much younger pilots… if you haven’t developed a drinking problem by your 60s, you’re probably not going to." (01:20)
Pilots are creatures of habit; the absence of routine can destabilize mental health.

Military Aviation Experience: Sub-Hunting and Cold War Drills

Life as a US Navy Pilot

Started as a total aviation novice — “Never been in a plane before the military.”
Flew the P-3 Orion, an anti-submarine aircraft, tracking Soviet subs using sonobuoys and microphones.
Tasked with “Smooth Touch” drills: simulated, high-pressure missions to target nuclear-armed subs within 30 minutes of an alert (11:00).

Nuclear Scenario Drills & The Doomsday Plane

The constant Cold War threat kept pilots sharp and deeply aware of “launch on warning” policies (13:10).
Discusses E-4B “Doomsday Plane” for government continuity during a nuclear attack.
"Submarines are the ones that would last longest, because they're underwater and fueled by nuclear power." (15:40)

Why Aviation Tech "Hasn’t Changed"—But Has

Commercial airliners have evolved slowly; major changes are safety, materials, and reliability, not speed (17:46).
Concorde represented “halo” prestige, not commercial viability. The crash in 2000 killed supersonic travel—for now.
The Boeing 787’s carbon fiber and flexible wings are the exceptions (22:16).
- "When the 787 takes off, the wings bend way up—it's meant to, like a bird." (22:51)

Aircraft Design Fails and Automation

Boeing 737 MAX Crisis (23:16—26:43)

Explanation of the MAX software fiasco: engine repositioning affected aerodynamics, a software fix led to fatal crashes.
Boeing vs. Airbus:
- "Airbus is a computer that has an airplane attached, Boeing is an airplane with a computer assisting… you can always override the computer on a Boeing." (25:14)

AI and Future Cockpits

AI assists are coming but full pilotless flights are unlikely for safety, redundancy, and public trust reasons.
"You can’t pull over in the sky and call for help like a self-driving car." (27:00)
Creative (and tongue-in-cheek) proposal: “Pilot in Dallas” or remote backup co-pilots to prevent hijacking and provide redundancy, balanced by new vulnerabilities.

9/11: A Personal Brush with Fate

[39:00—47:00] Steeeve’s 9/11 Story

Was scheduled as First Officer on American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001—the first plane hijacked.
Another pilot picked up the trip last minute for extra pay—“borrowed time” ever since.
- "I can mark on the calendar when I should have died, and I didn’t. So the rest of my life has been marked by, ‘let’s make the most out of this thing that I can.’" (41:16)
Post-9/11, piloting forever changed: stronger cockpit doors, new security protocols, a shift in awareness and training.

Training for Emergencies

Old hijack model: take hostages, make demands—now, passengers and crew assume the worst and resist.
Cockpit security is strong but not flawless: "Secondary barriers would be a $50 fix, but airlines resisted for years." (31:06)

Aviation Disasters & Conspiracy Theories

MH370: What Happened?

[56:20—65:30] Detailed breakdown:

Dismisses dramatic theories (stolen for terrorism, UFOs, etc.)
Most likely explanations:
- Mechanical/Fire: Out-of-control fire disables electronics/transponder but engines keep running—a "ghost flight" until fuel runs out.
- Pilot Suicide: Pilot locks out co-pilot, depressurizes cabin, everyone (except pilot on oxygen) loses consciousness; plane flies until fuel runs out.
"That airplane is probably down at the bottom of a very deep ocean. So deep they’ll never find it." (57:13)
Advocates for floatable, satellite-linked black boxes, but cost is a blocker.
Debates “zombie flight” and the actual evidence for deliberate action.

“Ghost Planes” and Accidental Joyrides

Recounts bizarre true stories: unqualified joyrider, political protest flights, and creative air traffic control interventions (34:15–35:51).

UFOs, "Ghost Planes," Bermuda Triangle & Flying Myths

Do Pilots See UFOs?

Frequently asked by passengers—always "just out of reach," usually explained by parallax, lights, or camera/lens anomalies.
Video analysis: Most UFO "orbs" are boats, navigation lights, or optical illusions on the horizon.
- "It’s always just beyond our comprehension or just beyond our reach." (73:42)
Debunks famous UFO pilot encounter stories as likely misinterpretation/parallax.

Flat Earth, Flight Paths & Map Oddities

Flat Earth questions abound; technical explanations for “great circle” routes confuse many lay travelers.
"If the Earth was flat, the cats would have pushed all of us off the edge at some point." (66:06)

Bermuda Triangle

“I was into that as a kid… it’s simply the busiest corridor for air traffic and shipping. Odds are, more incidents happen there." (109:06)
No instrument anomalies or personal experiences—myth more than reality.

Aviation Safety: Turbulence, Crashes, and Misconceptions

Turbulence

"Annoying, rarely dangerous." (99:41)
Planes built to withstand far more force than encountered. Tumultuous “Aloha Airlines” example due to corrosion, not turbulence (101:11).
Best advice: Keep your seatbelt buckled at all times—rare accidents can launch you.

Crashes, Engine Failures, "Where Should I Sit?"

Each crash is unique; no universally “safest seat.”
Takeoff is riskiest part of flight due to weight and minimum margin for error:
- "Taking off is the most precarious because your thrust is all the way up and you're the heaviest you'll ever be." (80:57)
Recalls personal near-death experiences in military aircraft and the importance of post-trauma mental health breaks (89:00–94:45).

The Human Side: Public Perception, Social Media Influence, and Living in the Spotlight

From Cockpit to YouTube

Big surprise: public’s intense curiosity and anxiety about flying, disasters, and pilot mindset.
“Now we have a voice in the space and people tune in because they want to know what Captain Steve thinks about something. And that really solidified with the Air India crash... all the major news agencies started showing that picture [of the deployed RAT] that we put up first.” (114:45)
Describes the responsibility and journalistic standards he holds as an aviation influencer.
His YouTube signoff “Captain Steeeve”—an in-joke inspired by an enthusiastic Milanese barista.

Memorable Quotes

On living with fate post-9/11:
"There’s an empty space where a feeling should be… you can’t get angry, you can’t get sad. It’s just a vacant feeling." (41:17)
On pilot overload and automation:
"You're talking about two dimensions (in a car) as opposed to three. You can’t just pull over and shut down in an airplane." (27:00)
On public misunderstanding:
"Most of the stuff, especially aviation related, is 80 to 90% wrong in the media. They have no idea what they’re talking about." (61:00)
On flying being safe:
"Every day—104,000 takeoffs and landings worldwide. Air travel has never been safer." (105:45)
On the ‘Bermuda Triangle’:
"All I know is it’s an extremely dense area for air traffic... Name it the Bermuda Triangle, and all of a sudden, you’re reading something into it that’s not really there." (109:10)

Key Timestamps

00:10–06:00: Pilot retirement rules, mental health, and substance abuse in aviation.
09:12–16:02: Navy sub-hunting; life in Cold War aviation.
23:16–26:43: Boeing 737 MAX incident breakdown.
39:00–47:00: Steeeve’s 9/11 near-miss, effects on flying and security.
56:20–65:30: MH370: technical analysis, conspiracy theories, possible explanations.
73:41–76:20: UFO reports—debunked with science and pilot experience.
80:56–86:49: Dangers in flight—takeoffs, emergencies, mental preparedness.
99:26–104:03: Turbulence myths, aircraft structural safety, seatbelt and seat safety.
114:45–118:21: Being an aviation YouTuber, journalistic responsibility, breaking news on Air India crash.
129:07–130:17: On the risk-taking Apollo era and the future of space flight.

Where to Find Captain Steeeve

YouTube: @CaptainStEeeve (three E’s, inspired by enthusiastic Milanese coffee host Rafiq)
Shorts, breakdowns, and aviation Q&A on trending crashes/incidents

Final Thoughts

For further content and community Q&A, listeners are encouraged to check out the Patreon for bonus segments with Captain Steeeve.

#362 - Navy Pilot Breaks Down New MH370 Search, Ghost Planes & Surviving 9/11 | Captain Steeeve

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Summary

Danny Jones Podcast #362: Navy Pilot Breaks Down New MH370 Search, Ghost Planes & Surviving 9/11 | Captain Steeeve

Episode Overview

The Reality of Being a Career Pilot

Mandatory Retirement at 65

Occupational Hazards: Mental Health & Addiction

Military Aviation Experience: Sub-Hunting and Cold War Drills

Life as a US Navy Pilot

Nuclear Scenario Drills & The Doomsday Plane

Why Aviation Tech "Hasn’t Changed"—But Has

Aircraft Design Fails and Automation

Boeing 737 MAX Crisis (23:16—26:43)

AI and Future Cockpits

9/11: A Personal Brush with Fate

Training for Emergencies

Aviation Disasters & Conspiracy Theories

MH370: What Happened?

“Ghost Planes” and Accidental Joyrides

UFOs, "Ghost Planes," Bermuda Triangle & Flying Myths

Do Pilots See UFOs?

Flat Earth, Flight Paths & Map Oddities

Bermuda Triangle

Aviation Safety: Turbulence, Crashes, and Misconceptions

Turbulence

Crashes, Engine Failures, "Where Should I Sit?"

The Human Side: Public Perception, Social Media Influence, and Living in the Spotlight

From Cockpit to YouTube

Memorable Quotes

Key Timestamps

Where to Find Captain Steeeve

Final Thoughts

Summary

Danny Jones Podcast #362: Navy Pilot Breaks Down New MH370 Search, Ghost Planes & Surviving 9/11 | Captain Steeeve

Episode Overview

The Reality of Being a Career Pilot

Mandatory Retirement at 65

Occupational Hazards: Mental Health & Addiction

Military Aviation Experience: Sub-Hunting and Cold War Drills

Life as a US Navy Pilot

Nuclear Scenario Drills & The Doomsday Plane

Why Aviation Tech "Hasn’t Changed"—But Has

Aircraft Design Fails and Automation

Boeing 737 MAX Crisis (23:16—26:43)

AI and Future Cockpits

9/11: A Personal Brush with Fate

Training for Emergencies

Aviation Disasters & Conspiracy Theories

MH370: What Happened?

“Ghost Planes” and Accidental Joyrides

UFOs, "Ghost Planes," Bermuda Triangle & Flying Myths

Do Pilots See UFOs?

Flat Earth, Flight Paths & Map Oddities

Bermuda Triangle

Aviation Safety: Turbulence, Crashes, and Misconceptions

Turbulence

Crashes, Engine Failures, "Where Should I Sit?"

The Human Side: Public Perception, Social Media Influence, and Living in the Spotlight

From Cockpit to YouTube

Memorable Quotes

Key Timestamps

Where to Find Captain Steeeve

Final Thoughts