Playing Dick Tracy

An air safety investigator for 16 years, Embry-Riddle alumnus Greg Feith has been on the National Transportation Safety Board's special response "Go Team" in Washington, D.C. for three years. As investigator in charge of the May 11 ValuJet crash in the Florida Everglades, he became a celebrity, standing behind a thicket of TV microphones to explain the findings of a 20-member NTSB team.

Feith recently spoke to The Leader about his job and Embry-Riddle's influence on his career.

How do see your role?

"We're promoting safety through accident investigations. That's the whole purpose. Every accident has aspects that can lead to changes in regulations. I've been fortunate in being in the right places at the right times. We were hard-hitting in looking for root causes of accidents, and we had enough evidence to make recommendations for change.

"We use the media to our advantage. Since we're not a regulatory body, we depend highly on them and on public support to generate change. We identify a situation and take it to the public, and the outcry puts pressure on the FAA and other regulatory agencies.

"We'll be holding a three-to-four-day public hearing on the ValuJet crash in Miami in November to call witnesses from industry and the airline to discuss changes that could and should be made."

How are you doing so far?

"I've worked on several investigations that led to changes in regulations. The Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, crash was the first aviation accident attributed to fatigue. It led to changes in flight crew duty time. As a result, they now have more rest time than previously allotted.

"I worked on the first USAir accident involving a DC9 in Charlottesville, North Carolina. That led to a Congressional mandate to install Doppler radar ahead of schedule at major airports.

"The American Eagle crash investigation that I just finished, after 22 months of work, has led to changes in the way we certify planes that are manufactured overseas, as well as certification of all aircraft for flight into icing conditions. It will be a worldwide change."

What keeps you going day after day?

"I like the intrigue of this job--playing Dick Tracy. You never know what you'll see tomorrow. Once the challenge is before me, it motivates me to look and learn everything that is needed.

"I know I'm not going to save the world, but I know I've left my mark and implemented change that is making aviation safer. It doesn't always make the manufacturers happy, though."

What's your biggest headache?

"The politics. Whether it be the manufacturer, the FAA, or the FBI, you have to reach a compromise that makes everyone happy, and do it without getting too many people upset with you. A lot of negotiation and debate goes on."

How has the job changed since you started?

"It's getting harder for the smaller planes. While the pilot benefits from all the high-tech stuff, it hampers the investigation, and there's no black box. And composite materials, which are used more now, don't give us the same kind of information that a metal prop will. All my evidence burns or shatters.

"On the commercial side, the more sophisticated the plane is, the more sophisticated the cockpit voice recorder and digital flight data recorder that is needed."

How has Embry-Riddle influenced you?

"Embry-Riddle gave me the chance to be in the position I'm in. I came in through the co-op program. I use the aviation foundation I learned at Riddle - the basics of aerodynamics and of weather - and the public speaking and technical report-writing classes I took. I have to address the media and write those blue-covered technical reports you find in the library. Those classes were the foundation for me.

"What Embry-Riddle has accomplished recently with the addition of the safety courses and the degree program in safety makes me wish I could come back to take them. I applaud their foresight. They're mentoring future accident investigators."