Murder in a 172

Pilots and aviation enthusiasts will be captivated by the intriguing investigation of popular myths surrounding the field of aviation safety in Murder in a 172.

John A. Shewmaker, DO, uses actual narratives from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations of Cessna 172 crashes to debunk commonly held understandings of plane crash fatalities—particularly the belief that few fatalities have underlying medical causes.

Shewmaker destroys the myth that very few fatal general aviation accidents have medical causes, exploring over 200 fatal events in the most widespread general aviation class of airframe, the Cessna 172.

Drawing from his extensive experience as one of the country’s busiest aviation examiners, Shewmaker delves into NTSB case studies, interpreting what the reports actually state—and perhaps more importantly—what the narratives fail to address.

Shewmaker demonstrates how many self-styled aviation safety experts continue to misrepresent accident safety data, generating a false narrative about how and why aviation accidents occur, and ultimately doing a terrible disservice to the aviation community—and dishonoring the memories of those who have died doing what they loved.

An aviation medical examiner since 2002, John A. Shewmaker, DO, is one of the busiest flight examiners in the country. Aviation safety is a passion of Shewmaker's and he seeks to improve the field by exposing areas needing a greater depth of understanding.

Shewmaker gives many speeches to aviation groups, including local chapters of the EAA, FAAST team meetings, and local flight clubs.