Greg Feith

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Greg Allen Feith
Born (1957-08-05) August 5, 1957 (age 66)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materEmbry–Riddle Aeronautical University
Occupation(s)
Aviation Safety Consultant
TV Analyst
Years active1980–present
Known forAir Crash Investigations
TelevisionMayday, Seconds From Disaster, Why Planes Crash, NBC, MSNBC
HonoursLiving Legends Of Aviation Inductee 2016
Websitehttp://aircrashdetective.com

Gregory Allen Feith is an American former Senior Air Safety Investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). He currently works as a consultant on aviation safety and security matters in the private sector, and as the aviation expert for NBC and MSNBC. He also serves as the technical advisor in a number of television programs such as Mayday (also known as Air Disasters in the United States and Air Crash Investigation in other parts of the world), Seconds From Disaster, and Why Planes Crash while maintaining a busy speaking schedule.[1][2]

Career[edit]

Feith earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he currently remains on faculty. Early in his career, Feith was the U.S. Accredited Representative and Team Leader of six American investigators who climbed Mt. Illimani to an elevation of 20,098 feet MSL in 1985, to conduct the on-scene wreckage examination of Eastern Air Lines Flight 980, a Boeing 727. This is the highest accident site in commercial aviation history.[3] He was the Investigator in Charge of the NTSB "Go-Team" from 1993 to 2001. In 2014 Feith was inducted as a member of the Living Legends of Aviation.[4]

Feith is a pilot himself, and owns and flies his Piper PA-24 Comanche.[5] He has a vehicle registration plate of "CRASH1".[5]

Media[edit]

Feith has appeared on several television series, such as the Canadian Documentary series Mayday (also known as Air Disasters in the United States and Air Crash Investigation in other parts of the world), Survival in the Sky, Seconds from Disaster and Why Planes Crash. He hosted his own short-lived series Secrets of the Black Box on the History Channel, highlighting the major investigations that he led, along with the controversial and conspiracy theory-riddled KAL007 investigation. He appeared in a made-for-TV movie Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501 as the co-pilot of the ill-fated DC-9. He is well known for his frequent public speaking engagements at schools, aviation groups and trade associations. In his spare time, he hosts Hangar Flying Today, a radio program in Denver, Colorado, near where he currently resides. Feith contributes articles to Business & Commercial Aviation magazine, including “Avoiding The Beast Below,” September 2002. He appears regularly as a guest aviation safety and security expert on KUSA-TV, NBC, MSNBC, while maintaining a busy speaking schedule with The Aviation Speakers Bureau. As of 2020, he hosts, along with former NTSB member John Goglia, the Flight Safety Detectives podcast.[6]

Notable investigations[edit]

Awards[edit]

Personal[edit]

Feith is married to Kim Christensen, anchor of Channel 9News, Denver, and a former Miss Colorado. They have a son, Tanner.[9][10][11] Feith had a white dog, named Sky King, taken by a neighbor allegedly demanding a $10,000 ransom for its return.[12][13]

The New York Times ran a story highlighting air crash investigators for their telegenic appearances and heroic roles in pursuit of the "noble mission: solving crashes to save lives by preventing future accidents", giving personal attention to Greg Feith, recounting how, during his investigations into the Valujet crash in the Everglades, he was given the nickname "Mud Stud" and profiled in news stories.  The articles written about him noted his Cadillac with the license plate CRASH1, fan mail from female admirers, and that he was single, with the caveat that he was married.[1]

Feith is a donor to organizations including Shades of Blue, a nonprofit giving underprivileged children the chance to experience flight and AOPA, and develops safety products, among them LapKidz for inflight child seat restraints and drowning accident prevention of children in bathtubs.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Bryant, Adam (1996-12-15). "Plane Crash? It's a Job for Tom Cruise". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  2. ^ Mazzella, Diana (2016-08-22). "A Living Legend by No Accident". Lift Magazine. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  3. ^ "The Aviations Speakers Bureau". Archived from the original on 2009-04-26. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  4. ^ a b "John Travolta to Host 13th Annual "Living Legends of Aviation"® Awards this Friday; Harrison Ford to present Aviation Legacy Award". PR Newswire. New York City. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Greg Feith". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
  6. ^ "Flight Safety Detectives". Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  7. ^ "Racing the Storm" ("Fatal Landing") Mayday.
  8. ^ "Final Approach." ("Missed Approach" or "Blind Landing") Mayday.
  9. ^ Phillips, Don (16 Sep 1998). "CRASH COURSES: NTSB'S AIR SAFETY EXPERTISE IS GOING GLOBAL". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 Sep 2022.
  10. ^ "Denver Bill Husted: The Denver Post". extras.denverpost.com. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  11. ^ "Denver Bill Husted: The Denver Post". extras.denverpost.com. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  12. ^ Mooar, Brian (13 Oct 1995). "A HAPPY ENDING TO A DOGGED SEARCH". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 Sep 2022.
  13. ^ Mooar, Brian (1996-06-01). "DOGNAPPING CASE IS DISMISSED IN MD". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
  14. ^ "2018 AOPA Foundation Annual Report" (PDF). 10 Sep 2022. Retrieved 10 Sep 2022.
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