Richard De Crespigny is an expert in leadership, decision-making, and human performance under pressure. He is best known as the Captain of Qantas Flight 32, the Airbus A380 that suffered a catastrophic engine failure shortly after takeoff from Singapore on November 4th, 2010—an event that has since become one of the most studied and finest examples of effective CRM in aviation history. He has over 45 years of experience in aviation and his book, QF32, is a powerful exploration of leadership, teamwork, communication, and calm thinking when the stakes could not be higher.

What makes the story of QF32 extraordinary isn’t just what went wrong—but how a team came together, how decisions were made in uncertainty, and how human factors, not heroics, made the difference to effect a safe and successful outcome.

In this conversation, we go beyond the headlines to explore what QF32 teaches us about crew resource management, cognitive load, emotional regulation, communication and leadership when suddenly faced with potential catastrophe.

Richard's books:

1. QF32
2. Fly! The Elements of Resilience

Richard's website: https://qf32.aero/

Richard's podcast, FLY: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/qf32-the-inside-story-from-the-flight-deck/id1832400848?i=1000723751309

(Episode photograph supplied by Richard De Crespigny used with permission)

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Dr Jorian Kippax is an emergency medicine specialist based in Tasmania, Australia — but his work spans mountaintops, disaster zones, and deep wilderness. He’s a Retrieval Consultant with Ambulance Tasmania’s Critical Care and Retrieval Service, and a Trauma Specialist at the Royal Hobart Hospital. He’s also a veteran of international disaster response, having led medical teams in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan and earthquakes in Myanmar as part of Australia’s elite AUSMAT deployment force.

In November 2024 he was involved in a 22-hour rescue deep in Tasmania’s Franklin River wilderness. He performed a life-saving underwater field amputation to free a trapped rafter using only the gear that could be delivered by helicopter. That act of skilled courage earned him Lithuania’s Life Saving Cross and the 2026 Australian of the Year for Tasmania.

In today's episode, Dr Kippax shares a firsthand account of the rescue, and we explore the underlying human factors skills used by him and the large team of specialists that day.

To watch the ABC News Documentary: You Tube: https://youtu.be/nMa-Lqxfzqk?si=3or2-2ZjAh6oziyi

https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/dr-jorian-kippax

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I was fortunate to be invited to an Upland Hills Health dinner to deliver a presentation focused on the lessons we have learned from our podcast guests, specifically with respect to how Healthcare might benefit from instruction in human factors and mental skills, and from formal coaching. Drawing from the stories and lessons learned from several of our impactful guests, I delve into how mental skills training forms the third corner of a high performers pyramid, held together by the understanding and application of human factors. I suggest that we can set ourselves up for success with mastery of the basics, excellent preparation, and then by using self regulation techniques to steer us into the appropriate performance state. I cover mental rehearsal and visualization, and finally some key concepts about debriefing and how important it is for that to become an ingrained part of team culture.

I would like to credit and acknowledge the podcast guests that provided this material that I have collated together from multiple episodes into a single presentation. If you wish to hear more details from these guests themselves then please jump into their individual episodes numbered below.

Dr Jason Brooks #6

Alan Stein Jr. #16

Capt. Sam Soderberg #17

Mandy Hickson #18

Dr Andrew Petrosoniak #22

Jonathan Viscosi #27

Payar Pasha #29

Keith Reesby #33

DISCLAIMER: ***The opinions that I express in this podcast are my own personal views, with references also made to prior episodes and guest views. I am not speaking for, or representing, any other company or institution. The dispatch case details at the beginning of the podcast are purely a fictional simulation, and any resemblance to a real or actual event or patient is purely coincidence.***

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