Episode Overview

Episode 4

Traces in the Wreckage – Accident Reconstruction in the 3D Era

In this episode, we follow the investigation into the Rockwell Commander 112B that crashed on the Kasberg in November 2023. Dr. Thomas Friesacher and Max show how a seemingly chaotic debris field becomes a structured data space—and how 3D scanning, point clouds, and digital reconstructions are now part of the standard toolkit of modern aircraft accident investigation.

Episode 5

Human Factors – Why Good Crews Make the Wrong Decisions

Understand why “good crews” can make the wrong decisions in a training setting, how plan continuation, normalization of deviance, and authority gradients in the cockpit affect outcomes—and how organizations can develop robust safety cases and training modules from this.

Episode 6

When Technology Fails – System Failures & Design Flaws

When technology fails, it’s rarely just one component. In this episode, we analyze how a single sensor signal can become a complete accident mechanism—and why true “technology failures” are almost always the result of design decisions, assumptions, and human-machine interaction.

Episode SP1

Disobedience on Board – When a Passenger Becomes a Safety Issue

When a passenger ignores instructions, it’s not just unpleasant—it can escalate from a disruption to a real safety incident within seconds. In SP1 of Mayday Files, Thomas Friesacher and Max Kunz analyze when disobedience on board becomes operationally critical and why crew instructions are part of the safety architecture of a flight.

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Get a behind-the-scenes look at aviation accident investigations – delivered directly to your inbox.

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