Shem Malmquist

Instructor | College of Aeronautics | Florida Tech

Melbourne, FL, UNITED STATES

Shem Malmquist is an international Boeing 777 captain and experienced accident and safety investigator.

Areas of Expertise (4)

Aircraft Operations

Accident Investigation

System Safety Engineering

Safety Analysis

About

Capt. Shem Malmquist is a visiting instructor at Florida Tech and an active B-777 captain operating predominantly international routes. In addition to being an international pilot for three decades, he has taught aerobatics and instructed in both general aviation and transport aircraft.

Capt. Malmquist has published numerous technical and academic articles stemming from his work on flight safety and accident investigation. He is the co-author, with Roger Rapoport, of the books “Angle of Attack” on the Air France 447 accident and its implications on aviation safety, and “Grounded” regarding safety issues surrounding the Boeing Max.

His most recent work has involved approaches to risk analysis and accident prevention utilizing MIT’s System Theoretic Accident Models and Processes (STAMP) and facilitating the integration of these methods on behalf of several organizations.

Capt. Malmquist's past work includes serving as automation and human factors lead for the Commercial Aviation Safety Team’s Joint Safety Implementation Team, Loss of Control working group, as well as the Aircraft State Awareness working group and the Joint Implementation Measurement and Data Analysis Team. He also has either led or been deeply involved in several major aircraft accident investigations, performing operations, human factors, systems and aircraft performance analyses.

Capt. Malmquist’s education includes a Masters (MSc) degree in Human Factors in Aeronautics through the Florida Institute of Technology, a Bachelor of Science (BSc) from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and an Associate of Science (ASc) through Mt. San Antonio College.

He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a member of the RAS Flight Operations Group. He is a full member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) and a member of the Resilience Engineering Association, AIAA, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, IEEE, the Flight Safety Foundation and SAE, where he also serves as a voting member of the Flight Deck and Handling Quality Standards for Transport Aircraft committee. (On that committee, he is currently leading a project to establish standards for aircraft designed after 2030.) He is a member of the Aerospace Behavior Engineering Technology, Modeling, Simulation and Training for Emerging AV and the Aircraft and System Development and Safety Assessment Committee and the Lithium Battery Packaging Performance Committees.

Research Focus (3)

Approaches to Hazard Mitigation Using System Theory

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Pilot Training and Response

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Aircraft Certification Standards

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Media Assets

Publications Photos Videos Documents Audio/Podcasts

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Media Appearances (9)

Why do Florida airports have so many flight delays? Weather, rocket launches, and more visitors

FOX 35 Orlando tv

2022-08-16

Experts said there are several reasons for delays, such as thunderstorms, a big tourist and business population, as well as rocket launches. Capt. Shem Malmquist, a visiting instructor at the Florida Institute of Technology explains how uniquely Florida factors can slow down flight operations everywhere. "Those launches shut down big areas of airspace for blocks of time," he explained. "When there’s a thunderstorm or electrical storm, that also restricts your ground operation."

Florida’s 4 major airports rank among the worst for on-time flight arrival

WESH tv

2022-06-14

“We have a lot of pent-up demand,” said Shem Malmquist. Malmquist is a pilot. He flies Boeing 777s and is an instructor at Florida Tech’s College of Aeronautics. He said Florida is seeing more travel disruptions because of four main issues. The first one is staffing shortages across many positions.

‘Air rage’ is complicating travel in North America and Europe – but not so much in Asia

CNBC online

2022-02-23

“The issue is mostly a U.S. problem,” said Shem Malmquist, a visiting instructor at Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Aeronautics. “Part of this is absolutely related to the politicization of the pandemic in U.S. politics. That aside, U.S. passengers are considered to be more generally problematic by most cabin crew.”

US airlines warn of ‘catastrophic’ halt to air traffic due to 5G

WKMG tv

2022-01-18

Shem Malmquist, an instructor at the Florida Institute of Technology said he’s concerned that it’s still unknown how hundreds of airplanes’ software will react to the network.

These questions must be answered before the Boeing 737 MAX flies again | Opinion

Detroit Free Press print

2020-11-29

Guest column: Have Boeing and the FAA learned from the deadly history of the 737 MAX? After two similar crashes, this aircraft — set to resume flying in America late next month — needs a clean bill of health. The manufacturer and our Department of Transportation should answer questions about the safety of this upgraded aircraft before it returns to the skies.

Did Boeing, aviation industry heed lessons of 2009 Air France crash?

Houston Chronicle print

2019-08-22

Right now, most pilots deduce the plane’s angle of attack from airspeed indications, which only provide a rough estimate and don’t work in many situations, said Shem Malmquist, a Boeing 777 captain and visiting professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. An angle of attack indicator could allow pilots to more accurately monitor the angle of attack throughout the flight, not just getting an alert once it’s approaching a dangerous level.

Investigators reportedly suspect pilots’ mistakes led to fiery Russian plane crash

ABC News tv

2019-05-07

There were still many questions remaining, though, about the factors behind the crash. Experts noted there may have been reasons why the pilots had felt they could not wait before landing. Shem Malmquist, an airliner pilot and visiting professor at the Florida Institute of Technology disputed that landing with a full load of fuel was necessarily a mistake. "Landing overweight is not a big deal -- we do it all the time," he said. "It's not the first choice. But it's not an unusual decision to make at all if you feel there's any urgency to getting on the ground."

Boeing, initially defensive, now ‘humbled’ by 737 Max crisis

The Washington Post print

2019-03-27

Boeing is responding to rising public concerns about its Max planes in an effort to save the company’s image and prevent the loss of more business, said Shem Malmquist, an active Boeing 777 captain and a visiting professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. “They took a different tack — a tack they should have taken in the first place,” Malmquist said.

A Worry for Some Pilots: Their Hands-On Flying Skills Are Lacking

The New York Times print

2019-03-16

The most seasoned pilots are aging out of the profession — they are required to retire at age 65 in the United States — and many said their successors might not know how to handle the unexpected. “There’s nothing wrong with the millennials; they’re really sharp and hungry for the information,” said Shem Malmquist, a Boeing 777 captain and visiting professor at the Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Aeronautics. “We’re not exposing them — we’re not giving them the chance to get the information.”

Education (3)

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: B.S., Aeronautical Science

Florida Institute of Technology: M.Sc., Human Factors in Aeronautics 2014

Mt. San Antonio College: A.A.S., Commercial Flight

Links (3)

Selected Articles (5)

Resilient Performance in Aviation

Advancing Resilient Performance

2021

Personality Trends in the Pilot Population

The Collegiate Aviation Review International

2020

Increasing Learning from Accidents A Systems Approach illustrated by the UPS Flight 1354 CFIT Accident

UPS-CAST-Final

2017

Learning from Accidents that are a Consequence of Complex Systems

ISASI Technical Paper