Alumni Spotlight
John Goglia ’62: When Your Plane Arrives Safely, Thank John Goglia
Senator John McCain helped John Goglia gain approval from President Clinton and win Senate confirmation to the NTSB
John Goglia, English High Class of 1962
The next time you unbuckle your seatbelt after your plane arrives safely at its destination, consider the behind-the-scenes cast that has helped to make air travel the safest mode of transportation. In fact, in 2020 there were zero deaths for 674 million passengers who traveled 100 million miles on major U. S. airlines. Internationally, there was one commercial carrier accident for every one million flights!
A man who devoted his entire career to improving air travel safety is John J. Goglia, a member of English High School’s Class of 1962.
His Love of Planes Takes Off
John reminisces about his early attraction to planes and aviation: “As kids growing up in East Boston, my friends and I would ride our bikes a quarter mile from home to Logan Airport where we rode along the runways until the State Police chased us away. There was a lot less airport security back then. But whenever any bike parts broke, aviation mechanics would welcome us into their repair shop where, using state-of-the-art tools and old-fashioned craftsmanship, fixed our bikes so well they never broke again and probably were the safest two-wheelers anywhere.”
John’s mother worked for American Airlines and she knew of secure, well-paying jobs in the industry. After his graduation from English High, he studied at East Coast Aerotech and became an FAA-licensed aviation mechanic. He took flying lessons at age 15. An adult had to drive him to the airport since he wasn’t old enough to drive!
His dedication to detail, interest in puzzle-solving, and hands-on experience landed him aviation mechanic jobs across the country with United Airlines, Allegheny Airlines, United Airlines, and USAir. John says,
“I was always eager to learn. I was an avid reader and very inquisitive. Lessons from my English High years included strict discipline and always seeking the truth. I learned to always tell the truth or your word isn’t worth much.”
And perhaps another lesson from his EHS years: “There’s a set of procedures that we follow, that everyone has to follow, and it has served us well all these years. So, if you just stick to the facts, stick to the process, the outcome is quite robust.”
While he was at USAir, the airline earned a reputation for one of the industry’s best accident investigation teams on the mechanics’ side and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began calling for consultation. Then the FAA asked him to review all aviation regulations related to flight safety and maintenance. John earned national respect when word spread about his understanding of flight safety, aviation mechanics and his eagerness to learn from union members, colleagues and management, and to teach what he knew.
Aiming High
With support from Senators John McCain, Jim Inhofe and John Kerry, John received Congressional approval and was sworn onto the NTSB by President Bill Clinton who noted, “John is an unquestioned aviation accident expert.” John smiles, “I guess they liked my work ethic because I certainly didn’t fit the usual NTSB political or attorney mold.”
John served on the NTSB from 1995-2004 and is the only member of the Board ever to hold an FAA aircraft mechanic’s certificate. As a Presidentially-appointed NTSB Board member, he became widely recognized for his interest in airport safety improvement in the areas of fire and rescue operations as well as wildlife hazards. John was an early advocate of the need to focus attention on the increasing significance of aircraft maintenance as a factor in aviation accidents, and also pressed for the integration of civilian and military safety information.
John has been an outspoken advocate for greater compassion and sensitivity in dealing with surviving family members of victims of transportation accidents. In 2001 the National Air Disaster Alliance presented its Aviation Safety Award to John in recognition of his dedication to helping grieving families. He says, “I’ve received many awards, but that’s the one that means the most.”
After leaving the Board, John assumed the position of professor of aviation science in Saint Louis University’s Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology. In addition to the teaching, research and advising components of this position, John’s responsibilities included the pursuit of initiatives addressing safety internationally. He served as Chair and a founding member of the National Coalition for Aviation Education, an industry organization that advances education among youth and the aviation workforce.
Truly ‘A Man of Honor and Achievement’
Today he is still called upon as an aviation safety consultant and he and fellow former NTSB investigator Greg Feith — with 100 years of worldwide aviation safety experience between them — are featured in a hard-hitting podcast series offering the ultimate insider view of everything aviation safety including behind-the-scenes facts on deadly air crashes and issues impacting general aviation and the commercial airline industry.
The Flight Safety Detectives Podcast
In 2019, John Goglia, right, joined forces with fellow former NTSB investigator Greg Feith to produce a podcast series, “Flight Safety Detectives. ” Together they offer an ultimate insider view of everything aviation safety including behind the scenes facts on deadly air crashes and issues impacting general aviation and the commercial airline industry. Now available of Apple, Spotify and other podcast platforms, 156 episodes have been recorded to date.
No matter what the aviation accident statistics, one fact remains clear – investigating an aviation accident is time-consuming and complex. But John Goglia’s goal always remained steadfast: “To make a difference, to make travel even safer.” One of his most headline-grabbing cases was the crash of Paris-bound TWA Flight 800 in 1996 that killed 230 and resulted in a four-year investigation. Another was the 1999 crash of the small plane piloted by John F. Kennedy, Jr., after it crashed off Martha’s Vineyard.
John Goglia, right, shown talking with Michael Kalafatas ’61 at the English High School 200th Anniversary Gala in October, 2022.
John Goglia says one of his greatest honors came when his name was inscribed on the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum Wall of Honor. He had been nominated by the Aerospace Industries Association of America. Another high point: He has three wonderful daughters, one of whom is Regional Manager for Air Canada. And spending time with his seven grandchildren gives him a different kind of lift.
John is the subject of a chapter in the book Bird Strike by another English High alum, Michael N. Kalafatas ’61, that focuses on the crash of a Lockheed Electra jet turboprop just out of Logan Airport. It slammed into a flock of 10,000 starlings causing it to plummet into Winthrop, killing 62. John has done extensive research on bird strikes and other causes of air crashes. Many of his findings have led to advances in industry safety regulations and have, no doubt, prevented countless accidents.
