The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) recently honored former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) board member, airline maintenance professional, and safety advocate John Goglia with its Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award. Goglia was recognized during FSF‘s 73rd annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS) held virtually.

The organization further presented an honorary Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award to former FSF president and CEO Stuart Matthews. FSF said the award “recognizes and celebrates original and remarkable worldwide contributions─in method, design, invention, study or other advancement─in the field of aviation safety, be it civil or military.”

Goglia, who is an AIN contributor, was the first, and to date only, airframe and powerplant mechanic appointed to become an NTSB board member, serving from August 1995 to June 2004. During his time, he participated in numerous investigations, including of TWA flight 800 in 1996, the crash of Alaska Airlines flight 261 in 2000, and the April 1996 ValuJet crash.

He joined the board with some 30 years of experience as an airline mechanic, union flight safety representative, and owner of an aircraft service company.

Since his time at the NTSB, he has remained active in aviation safety initiatives, serving as senior v-p with JD Aviation Technology Solutions and then with his own firm, John Goglia LLC. In these capacities, he has been a teacher, researcher, consultant, author, and mentor, FSF noted.

Matthews, who became a pilot at age 17, served as president and CEO of FSF between 1994 and 2006. Before that, he had served on the FSF board of governors since 1989, including as chairman.