mindFly Katha, From cockpit to culture — one podcast, many flight paths.

Capt. Amit Singh
  • 0.0 (0)
  • AVIATION
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Where Aviation, Safety, and Forgotten History Intersect Explore the minds behind the machines — and the legacy behind the lives. mindFully Human is a podcast about Human Factors, aviation decision-making, and the untold stories that shape our skies and our culture. Presented by mindFly, an Indian non-governmental initiative founded by Capt. Amit Singh FRAeS, dedicated to enhancing aviation safety, cognitive performance, and preserving ignored Indian legacies. ✈️ From pilot errors to cognitive traps... 🛕 From cockpit checklists to erased dynasties... This podcast travels where others don’t.

  1. The 100-Tonne Mistake: How Cognitive Traps Led to the Milan B777 Tail Strike

    2H AGO

    The 100-Tonne Mistake: How Cognitive Traps Led to the Milan B777 Tail Strike

    On July 9, 2024, a LATAM Boeing 777-300ER dragged its tail along the runway at Milan Malpensa for over 700 meters. How does a modern cockpit with an Instructor Captain and a Relief Captain fail to notice that their takeoff speeds are dangerously low? In this episode, we break down the preliminary report and apply a "cognitive view" to understand how a "100-tonne class" error slipped through the safety net. Key Topics Covered:✈️ The Incident: Reviewing the takeoff of flight LA8073. The aircraft rotated at 149 knots, despite needing speeds calculated for a 328-tonne takeoff weight. The result was a 6cm deep furrow in the runway and a fuel-dumping emergency return. Math The "Plausibility" Math: We look at the simple math that suggests the crew likely used performance data for a weight around 223 tonnes—roughly 100 tonnes lighter than their actual weight. 🧠 The Cognitive Traps: Why do good crews make gross errors?• Echo-Checking: Replacing independent verification with "Do we match?". • Learned Carelessness: How daily repetition reduces mental effort. • The "Commitment Tunnel": Why pilots lock up and try to "make it fly" even when the data feels wrong. 🛡️ The Solution - "Do They Belong?": Moving beyond checking for matching numbers to checking for sense. We discuss the "2-breath gross-error trap" and how to empower the jump-seat pilot to speak up .Sources: Based on "Cognitive Traps and Performance Errors in the Milan Tail Strike" by Amit Singh (Safety Matters Foundation).

    13 min
  2. Mind the Gap: AI132, Fuel Switches, and the "Mess Hall" Problem in Aviation Safety

    2D AGO

    Mind the Gap: AI132, Fuel Switches, and the "Mess Hall" Problem in Aviation Safety

    In this podcast, we analyse the critical gap between written Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and the tactile reality of cockpit practice, using the AI132 fuel control switch incident as a key case study.1. The "Mess Hall" Problem We begin with an analogy from A Few Good Men: just because the procedure to get to the mess hall isn’t in the book, it doesn’t mean the Marines don’t eat. Similarly, in aviation, you can do the job safely every day even when the manual doesn’t describe every micro-step. SOP provides the documented minimum for compliance, but "practice" is the unwritten discipline—the tactile method of moving a switch or the habit of verifying detents—that actually prevents accidents,.2. The AI132 Case Study: A Safety-Critical Mismatch In the AI132 narrative, a mismatch emerged between the pilot’s report of "slight vertical pressure" causing a switch to unlatch, and a technical explanation focusing on incorrect force vectors,. We discuss why resolving this mismatch is vital to avoid "premature closure"—a human factors trap where the system decides what happened (pilot error) before proving the mechanism.3. The Questions We Must Ask If the issue was simply "incorrect handling," why did it occur only on the left switch and not the right?. We explore potential engineering factors that a robust investigation must consider:• Hardware asymmetry: Differences in micro-wear or detent spring fatigue between left and right switches,.• Ergonomics: Why humans are unreliable sensors of force vectors.• Repeatability: Why the failure wasn't seen on every start.4. The Real Lesson for Pilots and Safety Managers Issuing a "strict SOP compliance" order is an immediate barrier, but the mature safety response is to reinforce control-handling discipline—like the "hands off unless required" rule and deliberate latch verification,.Key Takeaway: SOP is necessary but never sufficient for every tactile nuance. True safety culture improves when we ask, "What made this easy to do?" rather than just "Who did what?".Chapters: 0:00 - The "Mess Hall" Problem: SOP vs. Practice 1:45 - What is "Practice" in the Cockpit? 3:10 - The AI132 Mismatch: Vertical Pressure vs. Force Vector 5:30 - The Unanswered Questions: Why Left Only? 7:20 - Avoiding Premature Closure in Investigations 9:00 - Cockpit Takeaways: Hands Off & Verify#AviationSafety #AI132 #HumanFactors #PilotTraining #AviationMaintenance #SafetyCulture #SOP

    15 min
  3. The VIP Crash: When Facts are "Managed"

    6D AGO

    The VIP Crash: When Facts are "Managed"

    On September 30, 2001, a King Air C-90 carrying former Aviation Minister from the sky, killing all eight onboard. The official report blamed heavy rains and pilot error—a "convenient story" for a high-profile disaster. But 25 years later, a new forensic analysis suggests the investigation was filled with comforting lies rather than hard truths.In this episode, we explore the dangerous intersection of VIP pressure and aviation safety, asking the questions the original investigators ignored: • The Weather Deception: Why did the report claim "heavy thunderstorms" when satellite archives show zero rain and clear skies at cruising altitude? • The Impossible Wind: Did investigators falsify wind direction data to explain away burn marks on the fuselage? • Silent Evidence: The pilot’s trachea contained soot—proof he was breathing during a fire—yet the report ruled out an in-flight blaze. Join us as we uncover how "vested interests" can shape the narrative when the influential can't defend themselves.

    12 min
  4. From Locked Doors to Smart Security: The Fire Safety Crisis at Chennai Airport

    JAN 24

    From Locked Doors to Smart Security: The Fire Safety Crisis at Chennai Airport

    re passengers at Chennai International Airport safe? In this video, we investigate the alarming reports regarding fire safety violations at the newly commissioned terminal and the urgent remedial measures taken by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).🚨 The Allegations: Sealed Exits & Fire Risks Aviation safety experts, led by Capt. Amit Singh of the Safety Matters Foundation, raised a red flag regarding the New Integrated Terminal Building (Phase-1). Photographic evidence revealed that while "EXIT" signs were installed, the emergency access doors they led to were sealed with sheets, making them unusable.Key concerns raised included:• The "Uphaar" Warning: Experts compared the sealed exits to the tragic 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire, warning that locked exits could lead to mass casualties due to smoke inhalation.• Hidden Dangers: There were no signs indicating the exits were closed, nor were alternative routes marked.• Operational Approval: Questions were raised about how the building received operational approval despite these visible safety lapses.✅ The Fix: Major Upgrades Announced Following safety audits and complaints, significant changes have been reported as of January 2026:• New Hardware: The Chennai Airport has replaced nearly 140 emergency exit doors in domestic terminals T1 and T4.• Smart Monitoring: The new doors are equipped with electronic security and monitoring systems, replacing old chains and locks, allowing staff to control them effectively during emergencies.👇 Hashtags: #ChennaiAirport #AviationSafety #FireSafety #AAI #TravelUpdate #SafetyMatters #ChennaiNews

    14 min
  5. Unseen Toxins: The Systemic Failure of AI-171 Safety Protocols

    JAN 18

    Unseen Toxins: The Systemic Failure of AI-171 Safety Protocols

    When the AI-171 crash occurred, the public saw flames, wreckage, and the heroism of those who rushed in to help. But beneath the narrative of bravery lies a "real safety scandal": a system that allowed responders and civilians to enter a toxic environment unaware and unprotected.In this episode, we uncover the "unseen toxins" that turn modern aircraft accidents into "invisible fibre events". We explore why the smoke from composite materials is not just smoke, but a "incapacitation weapon" loaded with Hydrogen Cyanide—a systemic asphyxiant that can block the body's ability to use oxygen.We breakdown the critical failure of doctrine at the crash site, centering on a terrifying fact from the ARFF industry: there is no meter designed to measure dangerous fibre dispersion, meaning full respiratory protection (SCBA) is the only safe default—yet it was absent

    15 min

  6. 12/02/2025

    वराह राजपूत: भारत के भूले-बिसरे राजा

    नमस्ते दोस्तों! इस वीडियो में हम वराह (Varaha) कुल के अद्भुत इतिहास और उनकी वंशावली के वैज्ञानिक प्रमाणों पर चर्चा करेंगे। जानिए कैसे पुरातात्विक, आनुवंशिक और ऐतिहासिक रिकॉर्ड इस बात की पुष्टि करते हैं कि वराह राजपूतों की जड़ें मध्य एशिया में थीं और उन्होंने भारतीय इतिहास में एक महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई। 🔍 वीडियो के मुख्य बिंदु: आनुवंशिक प्रमाण (Genetic Evidence): डीएनए विश्लेषण से यह साबित हुआ है कि वराह कुल का डीएनए मंगोलिया की प्राचीन 'योंगजू' (Xiongnu) जनजाति से मेल खाता है,।लेखक का वाई-डीएनए (Y-DNA) हैप्लोग्रुप 'Q1b (L275)' है, जो मध्य एशिया और साइबेरिया में अपनी उत्पत्ति का संकेत देता है,। यह आनुवंशिक लिंक वराह राजपूतों के वंश को लेकर चल रही बहसों को समाप्त करता है।ऐतिहासिक प्रवास (Historical Migration): वराह कबीले की उत्पत्ति मंगोलिया में हुई, जहाँ से वे मध्य एशिया और ईरान (जहाँ उन्हें 'वराज' या 'हेफ्थलाइट्स' कहा जाता था) होते हुए 5वीं शताब्दी ईस्वी के आसपास भारत आए,,।'वराह' शब्द का अर्थ संस्कृत और प्राचीन ईरानी भाषाओं (जैसे Waraz) में 'सूअर' (Boar) होता है, जो शक्ति का प्रतीक है,।पुरातात्विक पुष्टि (Archaeological Confirmation): मध्य भारत के एरण (Eran) में वराह की मूर्ति पर हूण शासक 'तोरमाण' (Toramana) का अभिलेख मिला है, जो भारत में उनके शासन और स्थानीय संस्कृति के साथ उनके जुड़ाव का प्रत्यक्ष प्रमाण है,।कांगड़ा किले के प्रवेश द्वार पर रिबन पहने हुए हिरण की मूर्ति यूरेशियन 'फ़र' (Farr) अवधारणा और अल्खन (Alkhan) हूणों के प्रभाव को दर्शाती है,।भारतीय निरंतरता (Indian Continuity): गांधार और पंजाब में वराह कबीले को 'तुर्क शाही' और बाद में 'हिंदू शाही' राजवंश के रूप में जाना गया,।ऐतिहासिक रिकॉर्ड और स्थानीय कहावतें पुष्टि करती हैं कि भटिंडा (Bhatinda) वराह शासक राजा विनयपाल की राजधानी थी। अंततः, यह कबीला हिमाचल प्रदेश के अंबोटा (Ambota) गाँव में बस गया,।इस वीडियो को देखें और जानें कि कैसे विज्ञान और इतिहास मिलकर एक योद्धा कबीले की खोई हुई कहानी को उजागर करते हैं। #VarahaHistory #AncientIndia #Genetics #Archaeology #Huns #RajputHistory #IndianHistory

    13 min

  7. 08/26/2025

    Varaha Rajput - Migraration, Shahis & rulers of Punjab

    “Varaha uncovers how the Varaha Rajputs—traced to the Xiongnu—migrated via Central Asia into India and defended Bharat’s northern borders for centuries. Using Persian and Chinese sources, Indian records, and DNA insights, the book rebuilds a story mainstream history forgot, including the rise of the Hindu Shahis. It’s rigor, not romance—a reclamation of truth and a restoration of honour.”

    2 min
  8. Rediscovery of the Forgotten Dynasty: The Forgotten Clan

    07/08/2025

    Rediscovery of the Forgotten Dynasty: The Forgotten Clan

    🕯️ Buried by time. Erased from memory. But not from truth. They ruled the hills. They fought empires. They left behind temples, coins, and stories… but no one remembers their name. Who were the Varaha Rajputs?Why were they written out of history? In this opening episode, we peel back the layers of forgotten chronicles and uncover a warrior clan whose legacy was deliberately silenced. Before the Mughals, before the British, before even the Rajputs of Rajasthan — there was Varaha. This isn’t just history.It’s a resurrection. 📜 Forgotten by design.🩸 Remembered in blood.🔥 The rediscovery begins now.

    4 min
See All (52)

Trailer

About

Where Aviation, Safety, and Forgotten History Intersect Explore the minds behind the machines — and the legacy behind the lives. mindFully Human is a podcast about Human Factors, aviation decision-making, and the untold stories that shape our skies and our culture. Presented by mindFly, an Indian non-governmental initiative founded by Capt. Amit Singh FRAeS, dedicated to enhancing aviation safety, cognitive performance, and preserving ignored Indian legacies. ✈️ From pilot errors to cognitive traps... 🛕 From cockpit checklists to erased dynasties... This podcast travels where others don’t.

Information