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Max Trescott welcomes aviation columnist, aerobatic instructor, and DPE Dr. Catherine Cavagnaro to explore smarter ways to plan cross-country flights. The conversation is inspired by Catherine’s June 2025 AOPA article titled “The Benefits of Getting High,” which argues that pilots often default to lower cruising altitudes or direct GPS routes without considering efficiency or safety trade-offs.Catherine explains that pilots should dig into their aircraft’s POH (Pilot’s Operating Handbook) to find performance charts that highlight how altitude affects both time and fuel efficiency. For her Bonanza, she found that the highest true airspeed at 65% power occurred around 7,000 to 8,000 feet, but fuel efficiency kept improving all the way up to the service ceiling. Using a sample 650-NM trip, she shows that cruising at 12,000 feet—despite a longer climb—saved enough fuel to eliminate a fuel stop, making the total trip time shorter.

 

They discuss how terrain, restricted airspace, and drop zones make GPS direct routing risky or impractical, especially across mountain ranges. Catherine shares how Victor airways, often dismissed as outdated, still provide safer terrain routing and proximity to emergency airports.

Max adds real-world examples, including dangerous direct flights through the Sierra Nevada that ended in CFIT accidents. He outlines three major cross-country paths—northern, central (I-80 corridor), and southern—each with their own altitude and weather considerations. The two agree that pilots often forget how minor route deviations can vastly improve safety with negligible time penalties. Catherine uses a mathematical analogy involving railroad tracks expanding in the sun to illustrate how small vertical detours can stem from large lateral gains.

They also dive into the importance of using supplemental oxygen—not just at legally required altitudes but even as low as 9,000 feet. Catherine explains how oxygen concentrators work, how they eliminate the need for tank refills, and how much better she feels after using them on long flights. Max echoes the sentiment, comparing it to the dramatic improvement that came with noise-canceling headsets. Together, they underscore how improved oxygenation can enhance alertness, decision-making, and post-flight fatigue levels.

When it comes to safety, Catherine highlights the “5 Fs” checklist she uses for personal go/no-go decisions, emphasizing that fatigue is the hardest one to self-assess. She emphasizes building “outs” into every flight plan, from not booking hotels in advance to carrying backup airline tickets in case weather or fatigue prevent safe continuation. Max shares a similar experience of aborting a leg from Reno when he realized how exhausted he was just after takeoff.

They also cover inflight considerations like maneuvering speed and turbulence. Catherine explains that because true airspeed rises with altitude while calibrated airspeed (which affects structural stress) stays lower, flying higher can reduce aircraft stress during turbulence—provided pilots understand how those values relate.

Finally, they joke about snacks in the cockpit—Catherine once flew past the Grand Canyon while munching a chocolate croissant from a bread-baking class. The lighthearted close reinforces the theme: safe flying is not just about skill, but about preparation, flexibility, and a little indulgence to make the journey enjoyable.

For any pilot planning a summer trip—or just wanting to sharpen their cross-country thinking—this episode is a goldmine of practical tips, insightful math, and hard-won wisdom.

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Max talks about common gotchas with RNAV GPS approaches, especially when using vectors to final (VTF). The conversation picks up where Episode 383 left off, with listeners asking how vectors to final (VTF) influences glidepath capture on WAAS approaches.

He explains that under normal circumstances—flying the approach via own navigation from an initial approach fix (IAF)—the GPS glidepath doesn’t turn magenta or allow autopilot coupling until the FAF becomes the active waypoint. The magenta color indicates that the GPS receiver has completed a signal quality evaluation, verifying that the WAAS signal is good enough for LPV minimums. Until this point, the glidepath indicator remains a hollow white diamond, and the autopilot will not descend.

However, activating VTF triggers this signal check immediately, regardless of the aircraft’s location. If the aircraft’s track is within approximately 100–110° of the final approach course, the glidepath indicator turns magenta and autopilot coupling becomes possible—even miles from the airport. This can be risky if the aircraft is outside the protected segment of the published procedure, especially in mountainous terrain where blindly following the glidepath can be hazardous.

Max notes that activating VTF early, particularly from a downwind leg, may display the “SUSP” annunciator. He urges pilots not to press the SUSP button in this scenario, as it can inadvertently sequence legs inappropriately or disable the approach altogether. The SUSP annunciator will clear automatically during the final base-to-final turn, provided it's within 45° of the final approach course.

The episode then shifts to a common gotcha with ILS and RNAV approaches when being vectored in close. If a controller brings an aircraft in at an altitude that puts it above the glidepath—and the vertical deviation indicator centers before the lateral CDI centers—the autopilot will capture lateral guidance but not vertical guidance. Max describes this firsthand from a recent Vision Jet flight into Orange County, where his awareness helped avoid a missed capture. If the autopilot fails to capture the glidepath due to this timing issue, pilots must use vertical speed (VS) mode to manually descend and re-intercept it.

Responding to listener Matt’s question, Max discusses the use of VNAV (Vertical Navigation) mode as another way to descend to the glidepath for early coupling. He clarifies that while VNAV is a separate topic, it’s related because it can assist with managing step-down altitudes more precisely. If VNAV is properly configured—usually in conjunction with the APPR key—it can manage the descent and transition into the glidepath at the FAF. However, Max warns of several pitfalls: pilots often forget to dial in a lower altitude, which prevents descent; older G1000 systems may ignore VNAV commands if the top of descent (TOD) is more than five minutes away; and using VNAV may not align with ATC altitude restrictions.

He concludes that while VNAV has become more reliable due to Garmin software improvements, it introduces complexity and requires careful verification of ATC clearances and altitude settings.

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A cabin door pops open just after takeoff. It’s noisy, surprising—but the aircraft is still flying just fine. So why are general aviation pilots still crashing and dying in these scenarios? In this episode, Max explores the unsettling trend of fatal accidents caused not by mechanical failure, but by how pilots react to in-flight distractions—specifically, an open cabin or baggage door.

In just the first five months of 2025, four U.S. GA crashes involved doors opening shortly after takeoff. Three were fatal; the fourth resulted in serious burn injuries.

Max walks through each accident in detail, including the tragic crashes of a Beech Baron in Colorado, a Vans RV-10 in California, a Beech A36TC in Pennsylvania, and a Piper Saratoga in Florida. In all cases, the door opening startled the pilot, who either tried to immediately return at low altitude or became distracted from flying. The result: stalls, spins, or uncontrolled impacts—none of which were caused by the open door itself.

Drawing from FAA guidance, NTSB investigations, and personal experience with over two dozen open-door incidents, Max explains exactly how pilots should handle this situation. The key? Don’t panic. Don’t try to fix the problem in the air. Fly the airplane, climb to pattern altitude, and land normally.

You’ll also learn about door designs that are more prone to issues—like gull-wing doors on RV-10s and Columbias, or rear doors on Diamonds—and the importance of educating passengers on how to respond. The episode also includes real-world listener stories, POH comparisons across different aircraft, and a review of FAA training materials that stress proper task management in abnormal situations.

Max reminds pilots that an open door is not an emergency—it’s a test of focus. If mishandled, it can become a fatal distraction. But with the right knowledge and discipline, it should be a non-event.

This episode is a must-listen for every GA pilot—because distractions happen, and it’s how we respond that makes the difference.

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Max Trescott examines the tragic crash of a Citation S550, N666DS, in San Diego during an attempted RNAV (GPS) 28R approach to Montgomery Field at approximately 3:46 AM. After departing Teterboro, NJ, and making a fuel stop at Wichita's Jabara Field, the pilot continued westbound overnight.

After refueling, the flight continued to San Diego, where the Montgomery Field AWOS was inoperative, and weather was marginal. The pilot requested weather at nearby airports.

The aircraft correctly crossed the final approach fix PENYY at 2500 feet but then flew below the glide path and failed to stabilize. Speeds decreased from 200 knots to 124 knots on final, increasing workload and destabilizing the descent.

Flight path data suggests the pilot may have flown the approach as if it were a non-precision LNAV approach, mistakenly observing step-downs like the PALOS fix, which applies only to LNAV. Two level-offs occurred—one around 1300–1400 feet, then again at 500 feet—further evidence of a step-down approach profile, inconsistent with a stabilized LPV descent. Ultimately, the jet was 173 feet below LPV minimums and 440 feet below LNAV minimums when it leveled at 500 feet before crashing.

The autopilot appeared to be disengaged near the end, with irregular lateral path and a brief climb after leveling at 500 feet. Fatigue may have played a significant role, as the pilot had been flying for over 7.5 hours and the crash occurred at 3:45 AM Pacific (6:45 AM Eastern), squarely in the circadian low period when alertness suffers.

Max points out that older aircraft like this 40-year-old Citation often have non-intuitive or limited autopilot functionality for RNAV approaches. Social media commenters speculated the aircraft may have had either a non-WAAS FMS providing limited vertical guidance, or a Jet Tech STC’d Garmin 750 setup requiring autopilot workarounds. Either case complicates RNAV approach execution—especially when the pilot is tired.

Given the ILS 28R approach was available and offered the same minimums, Max questions why the pilot didn’t choose it. Even older autopilots generally handle ILS approaches more reliably than LPV. He concludes that while RNAV approaches are preferred in modern aircraft, an older jet with dated avionics at night, may warrant choosing the simpler, more robust ILS option.

Max reiterates a fundamental safety takeaway: Always tailor your approach to the aircraft and situation. What works best in a G1000 or G3000 might not be safe in a 1980s-era Citation. And never underestimate the risks of fatigue, especially during early morning hours.

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Max Trescott and Rob Mark launch the first episode of NTSB News Talk, diving into NTSB agency news, recent accidents and newly published NTSB reports to help pilots better understand accident causes and improve decision-making in the cockpit. Please help us improve the show by sending us your feedback here. To hear future episodes of NTSB News Talk, Follow or Subscribe to the show in your podcast app.

They begin with a surprising administrative shake-up: the unexplained termination of NTSB Vice Chairman Alvin Brown . Rob questions the lack of transparency, pointing out how an independent agency like the NTSB should not be subject to political scapegoating without clear justification. Max brings up that the NTSB is hiring .

Next, they turn to cockpit video recorders—a long-recommended safety item by the NTSB. While commercial pilots and unions resist them on privacy grounds, Max and Rob argue that video can play a vital role in understanding pilot behavior and causes of crashes, especially in general aviation where data is often limited. Rob references Matt Thurber’s editorial advocating for video recorders and highlights tools like CloudAhoy that already allow post-flight review.

The hosts then discuss several accidents. One involved a Cessna 207 in Alaska that crashed during a go-around, possibly due to a dog on the runway. They examine when it’s safer to land versus abort, and why go-around procedures—rarely practiced—are often poorly executed, even by experienced pilots.

Two Citabria crashes raise density altitude concerns. One near Big Creek, Idaho , ended with no survivors; the other, in Wyoming, occurred during a flight to spread ashes . A partial engine power loss, high terrain, and low climb capability proved fatal. Both hosts emphasize how critical it is for instructors to teach performance limitations in high-elevation operations, especially in underpowered aircraft.

Max talked about a Fireboss firefighting seaplane that ditched in the Atlantic, killing the pilot, while on a ferry flight to the Azores. He mentioned that experience ferry pilot Sarah Rovner talked in detail about ferry piloting issues in episode 379 of the Aviation News Talk podcast.

Another incident highlights poor weather decision-making. A Piper PA-28 crashed near Mount Equinox, Vermont after entering icing conditions in IMC. The non-instrument-rated pilot, traveling with family on a ski trip, stalled and crash-landed. The hosts explain how "get-there-itis" and poor weather avoidance can prove fatal, and caution against pressing on in marginal conditions—especially with passengers aboard.

The episode's deep dive analyzes the fatal accident of N611VG, a Citation 560 over Virginia. The pilot lost cabin pressure at high altitude and became incapacitated due to insufficient supplemental oxygen. The aircraft, operating Part 91, had numerous maintenance discrepancies—including an empty oxygen bottle and neglected pressurization issues. The pilot and passengers perished. Rob emphasizes that maintenance negligence is a silent killer, and guests aboard privately owned aircraft may have no idea about their true safety risks.

Max and Rob conclude with a discussion on high-altitude emergency procedures, including explosive decompression response. They urge pilots to practice rapid descents to VMO and recognize the signs of hypoxia before it’s too late. Finally, they encourage all pilots—regardless of experience—to schedule a flight review with an instructor to refresh skills like go-arounds and emergency descents.

This debut episode delivers clear, actionable safety lessons and insider insight into real-world aviation accidents. It’s a must-listen for pilots, CFIs, aircraft owners, and anyone serious about flight safety and learning from the NTSB’s findings.

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