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Angle of Attack: Air France 447 and the Future of Aviation Safety

Grounded: How to Solve the Aviation Crisis

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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.

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FOX 35 Orlando features Shem Malmquist on the science behind weather-related flight delays

Instructor | College of Aeronautics

Record-breaking heatwaves are plaguing  the U.S. this summer, making it difficult to stay cool. However, the scorching temperatures aren't just affecting us at the ground level — they're disrupting air travel, too, with increasing flight delays and aircraft weight restrictions. 

 Visiting assistant professor of aeronautics Shem Malmquist, a recognized expert in aviation safety and operations, spoke with FOX 35 Orlando about how extreme temperatures can directly impact aircraft performance, particularly at high-traffic airports during the summer.




"Temperatures are probably not something people think about," said Shem Malmquist, a graduate lecturer in aviation at Florida Tech. "But the delays just compound on each other. If you start getting delayed because people need more time to take breaks to stay cool, now that flight’s late, and that has a snowball effect."   These limitations can affect passenger loads, cargo capacity and overall flight scheduling. As temperatures continue to climb, Malmquist warned that these disruptions could become the new normal — not just a seasonal inconvenience, but a growing challenge for the aviation industry in the face of climate change.

A seasoned Boeing 777 captain and accident investigator, Malmquist has spent decades researching aircraft operations and emergency scenarios. He’s also contributed to global conversations on aviation safety policy and climate-related infrastructure resilience.

If you’re covering this topic or looking to speak with an expert on the intersection of climate and air travel, Malmquist is available for interviews. Click the icon below to connect with him.


As Extreme Heat Scorches the U.S., Aviation Expert Explains Why Planes Struggle to Fly in High Temperatures

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Shem Malmquist is a 'go-to' expert when it comes to covering the airline industry

Recent news on the safety of airlines in America has detailed tragic fatalities, airplanes flipping over and some crashing into prominent city streets, which has shone a less than flattering light on what is supposed to be a safe industry.

Given recent events, Florida Tech College of Aeronautics visiting assistant professor Shem Malmquist has appeared in high-profile interviews on both current and historic aviation  incidents.

 Recently, he spoke with the Boston Globe, Rolling Stone and the news platform FedScoop to lend his insight and expertise as a pilot.


Officials have repeatedly warned about a shortage of air traffic controllers. Pilots have made up for that gap by accepting visual approaches and separation from other airplanes to relieve some of the workloads off controllers, said Shem Malmquist, a pilot and visiting instructor at the Florida Institute of Technology, who teaches courses on aviation safety. He noted that was “part of the problem” with the D.C. collision. Still, flying remains safe because “pilots are overcoming the challenges in the system to prevent accidents,” Malmquist said. “Random distribution can create clusters like this. ... That doesn’t mean there’s more risk.”  February 21 - Boston Globe   One former pilot told FedScoop that the system can be overpopulated with notices, only some of which might be important for a pilot to understand before taking off. Still, there’s generally no automated way of sorting through these notices, which means they can be incredibly long and difficult to completely process before flights.  The notices themselves are densely written and use terminology that is often not immediately discernible. An example provided by the FAA shows the notices’ unique format.  Textual data can also limit the ability to modernize the NOTAM system, an FAA statement of objectives from 2023 noted. Shem Malmquist, a working pilot who also teaches at Florida Tech’s College of Aeronautics, said the entire NOTAM system “migrated from color pipe machines,” which locked in “certain abbreviations and codes” beyond their point of usefulness.  “It’s really great for computers, which is kind of funny because it was created before computers,” Malmquist added. “But it’s … not really very user friendly for the way humans think.” February 21 -FedScoop   Recently, Malmquist was featured on National Geographic's TV series, "Air Crash Investigation." There, he spoke about the China Eastern Airlines Flight 583 crash investigation from 1993.


 Looking to connect with Shem Malmquist regarding the airline industry?

He's available. Click on his icon  to arrange an interview today.


With aviation in the news, Florida Tech's Shem Malmquist offers insight and clarity

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

 The shocking news of an in-air collision in Washington has garnered massive attention from media, airline authorities and industry experts.

Reporters covering the story - rely on experts.  And that's where's Florida Tech's Shem Malmquist was called to lend his expert perspective, insight and opinion on a story that's making international news.


 "It just shows that traffic is in our location, there's a potential collision hazard," said Shem Malmquist, a pilot and visiting instructor of general aviation and transport aircraft at the Florida Institute of Technology.  And in certain situations, it will provide guidance for the pilots on how to avoid a collision, he said. For example, if TCAS believes the pilot needs to pay attention to other air traffic in the area, it may say "traffic traffic," Malmquist said. January 30 - CBC News   Shem Malmquist, who is a pilot and instructor at the Florida Institute of Technology, said midair collisions are extremely rare. Malmquist said if they happen they normally happen at smaller airports without air traffic control towers like the Lantana Airport. "The only method of separating traffic is visually, as well as airplanes communicating their positions to other airplanes, and that's going to create more risk," Malmquist said. January 30 - WPTV/NBC News   American Airlines Flight 5342 and a military helicopter collided mid-air late Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Officials believe all 64 people aboard the airplane -- 60 passengers, 4 crew members -- and the three people aboard the helicopter are dead. Officials conducted a frantic rescue effort overnight, which transitioned to a recovery effort early Thursday. Many aboard the plane were in Wichita, Kansas for a figure skating competition. Captain Shem Malmquist, an aviation expert at Florida Institute of Technology, joins FOX 35 to talk more about what happened. January 30- Fox News Orlando  Looking to connect with Shem Malmquist regarding this ongoing story?

He's available, simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.






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