Accident Case Study: Final Approach

[@MyTube4Utoo]

*NEVER BE "EMBARRASSED" TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY!!* Controllers are there to help you, not ridicule you. You're the *Pilot-In-Command,* make the decisions!

[@BillPalmer]

Escape the Matrix Indeed. Downside of declaring an emergency? NONE!

[@pietekoo5559]

I have listened to a pilot atc conversation. The pilot was inexperienced and was in bad weather. One could hear he was panicking and called the tower and said that he wants to turn back, but the atc sort of interrogated him and let him know that it would upset their landing schedules. The pilot then said he will then have to declare an emergency as the weather to bad or something like that. The atc then mockingly told the pilot that he could not declare an emergency for something like that and that he got himself into a situation like that. One could hear the uncertainty and fear in the pilot's voice. I would have thought it better to bring the guy home safely and then scold him, not when he is in a predicament.

[@cindywillis8923]

I don't believe it was embarrassment as much as being basically told NI as she clearly didn't want to be bothered. Nothing was ever said & it won't be because she's military. A private airport would've had much explaining to do.

[@lyzetteewanzer6259]

@@cindywillis8923 I thought the military was supposed to be in the business of saving lives...what did she mean, "There's NO WAY you can land here?" I admit the pilot could have been more assertive, but he already said he was flying light, was clearly struggling with ceiling conditions, etc. I really want to know what the worst thing is that can happen if you land on a base without clearance, in an emergency, life-saving situation. What does the military do to you??

[@justinmoore3121]

That guy fucked up man.

[@skyviper1973]

No matter how old I get or how many hours I accumulate, I will always be a student pilot. Really appreciate these videos.

[@sholgatenj1]

that's what makes a good pilot stay a good pilot

[@andytaylor1588]

Very well stated! It stands out that if you run into trouble up there, the trouble will not be you. Congratulations.

[@eracer1111]

One of the best comments ever.

[@rickbehrens5046]

sad to much pride he should of declared emergency !!! he had to know he was just about out of fuel #

[@garretmonnet9397]

They do a great job of making me crap my pants.

[@carlhopkinson]

When you are already out of the fuel and going down, it is NOT an emergency anymore...it is a disaster. The emergency was 20 minutes ago.

[@stephaniedejesus5704]

Exactly

[@cindywillis8923]

True but the ATC didn't ask a single question. Shouldn't that person, who's not thousands of feet in the air, with bad weather, elbe a bit calmer & able to think clear to ask a simple question or are they a gatekeeper who doesn't care. She sounded like a recorded message of authority & not someone who answers to help.

[@robertbenoit5374]

That is correct. Emergency is when you are low on fuel not out.

[@0000SYL]

@@cindywillis8923 pff I was wondering what if controller asked why do you want to land at an military airport , that imo would be most logical response because it is an odd request. And she most certainly would have understood the gravity of the situation. However, it is unfair to blame her as well because she did nothing wrong in the end and was professional when mayday call was made.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

So, he was coming in to land one way or the other. Either intact or not.

[@ronmac1832]

I listened to a recording of a guy fly into icing conditions. ATC told him to climb into worse conditions and he obliged. The sounds he made into the mic while spinning to his death haunt me. After that I took a new mindset about emergency situations. Don't politely die because you were afraid of a guy sitting in a dark room.

[@ronmac1832]

@paul xavier The recording was played to an audience at a FAA safety seminar in Norfolk VA. Sorry - I don't have a link.

[@MrSoccerball100]

@paul xavier The conversation he’s referring to can be found in one of these accident case studies on KZbin. It’s the one where the guy leaves Las Vegas a day before the super bowl to get home to Oakland. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4O2on9-rMRpptE&app=desktop

[@ReflectedMiles]

@@ronmac1832 Not only is being afraid of a controller or facility a mistake, but you may save yourself, your family, and others untold grief by treating that connection as the place that needs to hear your confession to everything that you're concerned may be wrong, or going wrong, no matter the cause or whose fault, and insisting on a resolution that begins immediately. I have been the guy sitting in the dark room, with radar terrain maps expanded out to the finest detail we had, trying to thread an iced-up BE18 around every obstacle in high terrain that he could no longer stay above and could not see in fog and darkness. He landed safely. I doubt that would have been the outcome if he had been "nice" instead of telling us exactly what was wrong as soon as it began to get serious.

[@RogerBarraud]

@@ronmac1832 Likely in the FAA Archives...

[@ronmac1832]

@@ReflectedMiles Good advice. I once was with the kids flying in hazy conditions and started to get a little nervous when I saw lots of unexpected clouds under me. 1st flight following controller said to climb, but I advised him I was VFR pilot. He said descend, maintain VFR & for watch for TV towers. BIG PANIC! I immediately said I need help (JFK jr. died a week earlier). He switched me to a calm slow talking controller who took care of me and I much appreciated the help!

[@stephaniedejesus5704]

"the fact that he was unable to extend himself the same level of care, is perhaps , that saddest". My heart.

[@sayloltothetroll6806]

He got put in the bye bye box.

[@cadaverdog1424]

This video is fabulously written__ Great writing, and great narration _

[@nickinportland]

For real right.

[@1prettygirl87]

Oof. Right in the feels

[@MovieMakingMan]

So true Stephanie.

[@philmann3476]

Don't know where to begin, but this has lessons all the way around. The guy that got me into flying was a part-time lawyer and full time 727 pilot with United. He had thousands of hours, a well-equipped twin engine aircraft of his own, and possessed about the most calm, level-headed disposition I've ever seen. Despite these qualifications, on more than one occasion when we were planning to fly to visit a client, he checked the reports, looked at the sky, and said, "I don't like this weather, let's drive." That, I think, is why he retired as a Captain without incident, never bent an airplane, and, in his late 70s, is still alive

[@14598175]

Instincts DO go a long way. Nothing is worse than that feeling you get if you make a mistake while IFR. I still have a reoccurring nasty dream that I'm in the soup on an ILS and suddenly realize my VOR's are tuned to the wrong station and that at any moment a mountain could appear!

[@KutWrite]

Phil: What's the rest of your story?

[@steinwaygrande3971]

You have just read the story. Morale of the story is they elected to drive, hence they are alive

[@deeremeyer1749]

And that happened when he had a United 727 to fly? Try again

[@deeremeyer1749]

Bullshit. That's like saying people who choose to fly hundreds of thousands of miles are now alive only because they chose to not drive and otherwise would have died in car accidents. And if that "part-time lawyer" (there is no such thing because "lawyer" means you have a law degree and are a member of a bar association in "good standing" whether "active" or not and clearly he WAS active if flying to see "clients") was also a United 727 pilot, he sure as hell wasn't getting to the airport for his OTHER "part-time" job, taking a look at the weather and deciding to "drive" his entire plane load of passengers to their destination. Did you not just read the story?

[@MrDlt123]

24 years Air Force retired here. Just wanted to say that you non-Air Force pilots needn't ever fear declaring an emergency and landing there in these types of situations. I get the idea from non-military experienced pilots that they fear severe repercussions for landing at a military field. But if you declare an emergency, the controllers will try to clear the way and get you down safely, like any other controller. Don't have the perception that you'll be jacked up by guards and taken for questioning, and your plane will be impounded. They have a military mission but their primary mission is public safety in an actual event.

[@KarlH1980]

+MrDlt123: Roger that! I dealt with Whiteman AFB when I was flying.

[@chrisfarrell3408]

Say he declares an emergency at the moment the idea first comes up, what actually happens when you try and park your wet ga aircraft on the field at Dover? How much trouble would this guy be in? As it happened he broke no laws; land Dover does he get violated?

[@MrDlt123]

You are never going to penalized for declaring an emergency, even if it turns out that the emergency declaration was due to something very minor but looked to be major. The idea behind it being that they don't want pilots to be hesitant to declare an emergency for fear of reprisal. However, there are some things to note here: You need to exhaust all of your other 'reasonable' options first. Second, your aircraft will likely be isolated on the airfield as a security precaution. Third, you will probably be briefly interviewed (not interrogated) by military officials to ascertain the true nature of your emergency. You will likely be billed for any fuel, parts used to get your plane back into the air. In any case, I would never risk my life, or those of my passengers because I was afraid to get into hot water with the FAA or the Air Force.

[@christopherolsen113]

Agreed. As an ex-Navy guy I wouldn't hesitate to land at a military base in an emergency. In fact, I fly over Miramar Marine Corp Air Station regularly and I can imagine nothing but good things about dealing with the Marines after and engine out or some other issue. Sure, you might have to go through a little red tape, but our service members are just people and they'll be happy to help. In short, they get it.

[@Mike-01234]

Isn't low fuel an emergency in IMC? Rather be questioned by military then be dead. Always work everything out later.

[@rodabaughte]

Many years ago I suffered fuel starvation on a VFR cross country caused by a fuel system malfunction. I was within visual range of Brown field at Marine Corps Air Station Quantico, VA. I turned on the fuel pump which brought the engine back to life as I put Brown field on the nose. I did not have time to call the tower until after I landed. Even though this is the same airport that the Presidential helicopters were based at, my reception by the Marines was welcoming. I filled out some paperwork, fixed the problem, filled up with gas, and was on my way to my destination the same day. The Marines even followed up to ensure that I had landed safely at my intended destination. God bless the Marines, and don't hesitate to use any runway that will offer a safe landing in an emergency.

[@andytaylor1588]

Outstanding!

[@daytonasixty-eight1354]

Nice. I hope you logged the landing.

[@gerryortiz7276]

Great job and yes god bless the Marines!

[@SadethCheng]

I'm glad my people help you out.

[@phoenixshade3]

@@Krystalmyth Get out of here with that fake divisive BS. YOU are the problem.

[@JoseMTamez]

I can't believe he didn't declare an emergency after running out fuel. The lady said; "unless its an emergency, there is no way you can land here" Man, I would have told her "I'm declaring an emergency and I'll be seeing you in 2 minutes". Wow!

[@monkeyoperator1360]

hell the korean pilot that landed at osan air base cause he was running out of fuel is proof you can land

[@shandawilliams4069]

I agree . Then deal with the consequences later...so sad

[@Morpheen999]

The controller could've been much more kind, A simple "hey if your struggling to get down you can give it a try here, we'll figure out the paperwork later okay?"

[@sludge8506]

@@Morpheen999 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@michelgardes]

"Keep talking to me, please." As a pilot, I can fully picture what he was going through, and it really breaks my heart.

[@bmentlow]

Yea...She seemed so cold and uncaring...No kind of empathy..None.

[@TheArmedNurse]

@@bmentlow I agree. She should've got a job at McDonald's instead of at an ATC tower.

[@sarahalbers5555]

As a human being it breaks my heart.

[@rykehuss3435]

@@bmentlow She was a professional who tried helping him until the very end. Nothing uncaring about her at all. Should she started singing some soothing songs or what? No, she did her job which was aimed at saving his life

[@stevengower]

@@rykehuss3435 she could’ve been less bitchy

[@paulwiles2961]

He was being too polite, and didn't want to be a bother to anyone. He sounded like a really nice guy. I am only vfr, but I would have declared an emergency when the atc said negative in a pretty stern tone. Heck, it's just so sad. My sincerest Condolences to his family

[@beijingkoala4]

Agreed! Especially on a bad weather day like that day, he was likely the only aircraft airborne in the area, everyone should have talked more to resolve the situation.

[@cageordie]

Too right! You want me to declare an emergency when I'm looking at an empty fuel tank? "Mayday fuel". There. Now can I land? The military would have been amused and delighted to see him safely on the ground, though they might have played soldier boy about it. Much much happier than hearing he died. I bet that controller was not happy that he didn't ask for more information. Not his fault, but it doesn't mean he won't blame himself.

[@harrykruppenbach9546]

cageordie

[@KutWrite]

Yeah, and I suppose a good surgeon gone. MDs have a reputation as cocky and know it all, but this guy seemed humble, perhaps too much so. At least he left us with a serious lesson to learn. Ironically, Dover is the base where dead servicemen are brought from combat zones for final processing before burial.

[@alanharvey9094]

Sounded a real nice, gentle bloke .... very sad!

[@buckholz7]

I had a fuel emergency and was forced to land at an Air Force base in Florida. Everybody was very nice there and after about an hour delay and some paperwork I was back on my way. I had no problem with the FAA concerning it. You've got to squawk like a chicken when you're up there and something goes bad-wrong. Being passive is counterproductive.

[@mikerossscuba]

Thanks for the info, Bill. It may save someone who otherwise might not make it because of being fearful of reprisal, or just plain embarrassment. at declaring an emergency for clearance at a military airfield.

[@cageordie]

Right! As I was told, confess early and confess often. If you have a problem don't make them work out what it was from the burnt remains.

[@living4christ]

Did the Air Force give you free fuel?

[@f8yl845]

I can tell you the answer is a hard NO.

[@mscheese000]

I doubt air force bases even have 100LL avgas. There are virtually no piston aircraft, everything in the air force including almost all of the prop planes uses jet fuel. The only piston aircraft I can think of are the civilian trainers and towplanes they have at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

[@MrSuzuki1187]

In my 54 year career as a pilot, including 29 at a major airline, I have noticed on many occasions pilots totally unwilling to share with ATC that they have a problem. And so many pilots, even airline types, will never declare an emergency even though their situation is dire, as was the pilot in this video. I just cannot fathom the psychology behind the refusal to tell ATC you have a problem. This pilot's actions are a prime example of what I am speaking about.

[@hellatightdude]

It can be many things, from ego and arrogance, all the way to absolute lack of self confidence in one’s own abilities and inexperience. If you can’t fathom why someone would feel like that, consider yourself blessed! For me being a very inexperienced helicopter pilot with a big scary IP in the left seat, sometimes even when I know something is wrong or needs to be done, I have to fight that urge to not say it out of fear of reprisal or shame. Maybe those pilots feel they’ll face the same repercussions from ATC, or even themselves by making that bad call.

[@banjo2019]

I think it’s just human nature. Had he watched videos just like this one maybe he would have trained himself out of that attitude.

[@dashriprock4308]

Egotism. Seen it so many times.

[@wilsont1010]

He did, he said his GPS was not working.

[@mrtechie6810]

​@@wilsont1010how is that an emergency? Is GPS required equipment?

[@KayleeCee]

You can hear the fear in his voice towards the end. It's terribly sad when he asks the controller to keep talking to him. I can't imagine being up there all alone and knowing that you're most likely going down. RIP, doc. It's better to be embarrassed than it is to be dead.

[@johnmeye]

And the sad part is, in the end, he was both embarrassed AND dead

[@jlo7770]

I don't know if embarrassed is the right apology for this.. no one declairs an emergency until they have a motor out or something serious. That atc person straight up said "you CANNOT LAND HERE, unless you declare an emergency" if she had said "if it's an emergency you can land here" I think things would have gone down differently. He didn't have to fly far past the afb to run out of fuel and declair an emergency. I can see fear being more of a factor than embarrassment. It's different for sure from one atc to another (military to civi) in my mind that atc couldn't care less or be bothered at that moment and was a complete b. I hope that dudes ghost lives rent free in her head for the rest of her life

[@GusLandy]

I don't know who funds this, but ASI hires these amazing video makers/story tellers. Professional is an understatement. I've been watching a few videos over and over and can never get enough.

[@MrSoccerball100]

Agreed. I don’t fly but if I was an instructor I’d make watching these videos mandatory

[@jshepard152]

One of the saddest crash videos I've seen. You can hear the fear in his voice. Condolences to Dr. Turen's family.

[@pipercolt1963]

And he was a very skilled surgeon, a big loss for us all!

[@ingloriousbaxter]

This one made me tear up. It’s so sad

[@canadianroot]

@@Skipbo000 As if it wouldn't have been in the news. Idiot.

[@sarahalbers5555]

Absolutely tragic. Ask for help sooner rather than later. The panic in his voice is beyond....

[@gekko434]

You can tell he was intimidated by the military ATC's response and didn't dare to follow up. Very sad because it could have been avoided so easily.

[@wmfife1]

"Doctors get to bury their mistakes; "Pilots get buried with theirs." Slogan learned while on military flight crew.

[@andytaylor1588]

As a former Army flight medic, I hear that!

[@mikepaz4870]

The Hands of a Seamstress The Eyes of an Eagle The Heart of a Lion The brain of a cabbage The Surgeon Surgeons know nothing and do everything Internists know everything and do something Psychiatrists know nothing and do nothing Pathologists know everything but it’s too late. I think this is from “ The House Of God “ Samuel Shem MD

[@KutWrite]

Bill: An addendum to your slogan: "Blame the dead guy." - FAA/NTSB

[@mikepaz4870]

KutWrite Sadly , I concur. Someone recently lamented that in Military Aviation, the final report takes roughly one month from the incident. One month .....versus many months / years. Why is this so ? The smart people said that in the Military every squadron has a safety officer. Sometimes two. The Warriors are on sight in a few hours, where memories are still fresh and the “ crime scene , crash scene ( not sure what the politically correct name du jour is. That is huge in terms of forensics and chain of custody. Most members are Pilots and Senior Enlisted maintainers. They all have “ skin in the game “ and no doubt knew the Dead Aviators well. In short they need a root cause analysis , especially if the A-C was a tactical bird. To keep nuggets safe. Versus the NTSB - FAA , who apparently don’t play well with others. I’m pretty sure politics come into play . Some of the “ talking heads “ should probably just stick to facts and hard data. The “ crash Scene “ is no longer pristine and in developing countries there is NO crowd control. Metro Manila has this problem every shift. I learned some members are appointed, voted in and don’t have a background in Aviation. Similar to these folks gingerly holding the dreaded “ assault gun “ that can kill 223 , or 5.56 people every time they smash the trigger . It’s always easier to blame the Pilot. Oft times with disastrous results to the family. A couple of wives worked tirelessly to get the pilot error verdict changed

[@KutWrite]

@@mikepaz4870: I agree. But once the investigation gets to the Flag level, CYA and political considerations take over. E.g. When Kara Hultgreen died in the F-14. They had to blame someone/something other than her and definitely couldn't let it appear that a woman couldn't handle an F-14 (I'm not saying they can't). One very fine officer with a great career to that point lost his chance at promotion as a scapegoat, largely because he didn't want to pass her through the RAG (type training 'ron), even though he, as his predecessors in her training pipeline, wanted to flunk her.

[@Bartonovich52]

Rule of thumb: If you can’t accept a 30 minute hold in your aircraft’s current state, declare an emergency.

[@cdreid9999]

Nice tip

[@wtimber]

Was thinking the same thing!

[@ATP360]

Terry Melvin I’m not a pilot. I’m guessing, and assuming it is. But from what I have seen you have to verbalize “I am declaring an emergency “.

[@mrjjman2010]

Terry Melvin calling mayday can also get ATC to possibly declare an emergency themselves for you which is something they have the power to do, so I would think both would be fine.

[@ska042]

Pasenger planes do this as a matter of policy if they ever reach low fuel. Policies may slightly differ regionally, but it's something along these lines (here from the European Cockit Association): "The Commander shall declare a situation of fuel emergency by broadcasting a mayday call as soon as the calculated usable fuel predicted upon landing is less than the planned final reserve fuel." Final reserve fuel means 45 minutes of fuel here.

[@WaddupItsYaBoi]

Looked it up and, given his career, I think it's fitting to name him here. Rest in peace Dr. Clifford H Turen. He was an accomplished traumatologist that was internationally known, his passing was a loss to the international medical community. These videos are incredibly informative and necessary for future pilots, both private and commercial. I don't even fly planes but I'm fascinated by aviation and have immersed myself in the various lessons these videos teach. Hopefully the lessons learned here can prevent future accidents and lessen the sting of such a powerful loss.

[@groth3395]

wtf is a "traumatologist"? - a dumb pilot who makes poor decision after poor decision? I guess that is a good definition of "trauma".

[@Stxxzy]

​@@groth3395 "a traumatologist is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of both simple and complex fractures, as well as wounds and injuries caused by accidents or sudden violence." google is a wonder, try it some time.

[@Mshi-]

​@@groth3395you're disgusting and lack empathy

[@amritlohia8240]

@@groth3395 A surgeon who operates on trauma cases - i.e. cases where the patient has suffered a critical injury.

[@Severi611]

@@groth3395the guy that puts you back together again after you get the shit beat out of you for being retarded

[@markemanuele1929]

Many years ago, I had a problem with my brakes while trying to land at Trenton-Robbinsville Airport. I had lost my right main gear brakes and that airport had a runway that was on a hill with a high point in the middle of the runway. I attempted 3 landings and decided it was unsafe to land there. I declared an emergency and landed at McGuire AFB which was the closest airfield with emergency equipment available at that time of night (1 AM). Upon landing, my aircraft was inspected, and leaking brake fluid was seen coming out of the brake pipe. I was told "No problem" and that I had done the right thing by declaring the emergency. The next day I had a mechanic come with me and he replaced the cracked brake line, and I returned the aircraft to Trenton-Robbinsville Airport. Don't EVER be afraid to declare an emergency!!!!! (as long as there is actually an issue that you as the pilot believe is unsafe to continue elsewhere).

[@Stealth55555]

@David Miorgan

[@dave92f1]

YES - it's about what YOU AS THE PILOT think is an emergency. That's all that matters.

[@MegaSunspark]

Yes, but even if it turns out to be a "false alarm" after inspection of the aircraft, you would still have the right to declare emergency and land at the closest suitable airfield, even a military base. You'd have no way of knowing what the problem might be while in the air. Better safe than sorry.

[@bobg1069]

One of the first lessons I was told during my military flight training was, 'never push a bad position' even in combat. Its what I hammer into my students now all the time. I hope that they are listening.

[@rubenvillanueva2753]

Wow!, I was a military Air Traffic Controller, at Dover AFB, circa 1972. I was at the Approach Controller position, when I received a call from Phillie Approach. They had a light aircraft that was unable to land at PNE, due to weather. Phillie approach had the aircraft contact me. Dover weather was VFR, with a little mist along the coast line. I identified the aircraft and started vectoring it to then, Delaware Airpark (possibly 33N, now). It was located 9 nm nnw of Dover. I vectored the aircraft East to west, directly to 33N, he did not see the airfield, so i vectored him back West to east to 33N, again no joy with the airfield. The pilot then began reporting low fuel and that his engine was sputtering. I cannot recall wether the pilot declared an emergency or I did. I vectored him directly to Dover AFB, had the tower turn up the runway lights to full intensity and switch the strobe lights. We notified Dover police about the aircraft in the event he might try to land on the north-south highway between Dover and 33 N. The pilot made it to overhead Dover AFB, and was cleared to land on any runway he saw fit. Gladly, he landed, rolled to a stop. Later tanks were checked, both empty. I was very happy for the pilot and pax, that experience made my day! I am sorry to hear about the outcome of the other pilot. Nothing would have happened to that military controller. It is just the fear of breaking the PPR, Prior permission required, rule at military bases.

[@andytaylor1588]

Thank you for your service Mr. Villanueva and for saving those lives!

[@flyboy712]

Ruben, you were a good controller. You saved the lives of those people by your actions. I wish more controllers were proactive and declared emergencies when the pilot is too distracted to do so!

[@davidjose2193]

Ruben...many thanks for your practical, professional solution...that saved lives. You are a credit to your ATC profession, the Military, and Our Nation. God Bless you, Brother.

[@cdreid9999]

you are amazing sir

[@Dwightstjohn-fo8ki]

good for you. the first thing I noticed when listening to other threads is that controllers don't tell pilots what they CAN'T DO, which is what this military lady did. especially when you listen to the sigh in the pilots response you can tell he's in stress and trouble. you ask "are you declaring an emergency"., NOT you can't land unless it's an emergency. she flip flopped the questioning. , compared to all the other tapes I hear.

[@azcharlie2009]

Her statement, "there's no way you're landing at Dover" was a bit too strong. Never let ATC affect your decision on what to do. You are the pilot, not them. He should have said, "Mam, I have no choice. I'm low on fuel. I am landing at Dover." She would have said, "Are you declaring an emergency?" To which he should have said. "Yes, I am."

[@mike_oe]

"She would have said: Are you declaring an emergency?" Exactly. I hope she is longer in ATC

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

I would really have liked to see the ATC be more proactive in this instance? If the pilot is querying landing at a military base, then something is seriously wrong. Ask the relevant questions! Encourage them to declare emergency & help them get down safe! Don't just stonewall them.... Gotta admit this was disappointing, in terms of ATC facilitating a pilot's safety, and I was rather surprised that wasn't clearly flagged in the analysis...?

[@letsgobrandon6281]

She said no,only if it's an emergency. now it's on him!!

[@PilotUnknownX]

She seemed like she really didnt give a shit

[@habibi750]

I only started watching this channel and so far, it seems like a lot of crashes involve ATC

[@clarencethomasisthegoat]

"keep talking to me".. those last couple transmissions were absolutely heart wrenching. RIP

[@gabe-po9yi]

I’ve seen so many of these where the pilot doesn’t declare an emergency until they’ve completely lost control of the plane. It’s almost if they don’t realize “Emergency” means I need to land asap WHILE I still can.

[@MaxVliet]

I inadvertently found myself in IMC as the weather deteriorated much quicker than anticipated on a cross country flight back to my local airfield. I probably only had 200 or so flying hours at that time, and I remember how stupid I felt when I realized I was gradually losing visual to the ground. The weather had been marginal earlier in the day, but it had been improving for several hours by the time I took off, and was forecast to keep improving so I thought I would be safe. Alas, that was not to be the case. I was not instrument rated at the time, and I knew I was getting out of my depth. I set the autopilot to maintain heading and altitude while going through my options. It didn't take me long to realize that my only safe course of action would be to declare an emergency and ask for vectors, but to actually get myself to declare that emergency was really, really hard, even though I knew it was the right thing to do. I'm really glad I did though, otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here watching these videos, I'd be in one of them.

[@thisisbob1048]

Air Safety Institute- This videos are great and so worth the time and effort. As a CFI I take these in with huge respect and learning never stops.

[@stevehammond9156]

This guy made so many STUPID mistakes it is almost mind numbing to listen to him. You want to get on the radio and yell at him to pull his head our of his ass before he runs his tanks dry, which is exactly what he did. I have 1600 hrs in A-6's and about 1250 in various light civils. Shit like this should never happen.

[@bluehornet6752]

@@stevehammond9156 No, it really shouldn't happen. However, like Bobby, the CFI in me really appreciates these videos--because it 1) helps us determine the kinds of things we REALLY need to stress to students, and 2) reminds us that no matter how much time we have, or how many ratings we have in our pockets, there are two things we can't win an argument with: Gravity and Mother Nature.

[@SilverCanary1]

Noone cares how many hours you;ve flown if you make cheap comments like this.

[@SilverCanary1]

As a part-time amoeba, I too can appreciate these vids for their logical portrayal of what appears to be illogical human behaviour, and their utmost respect for the plights of the victims who are humans afterall

[@davidwhite8633]

Tom B I hope one of the lessons you teach your students when low on fuel with a destination that may be just out of range, with no feasible alternatives, is to pitch up to max range/best glide speed from the cruise speed they’ve probably been flying at . If the guy in the vid had done that even as late as leaving Salisbury for Dover he’d have made it into Dover for sure, since he was only a couple of miles from Dover when he crashed . Unfortunately the pilot reaction in many cases like this is to ‘ hurry on at cruise or above to get there before the fuel runs out ‘ ! In other words,doing just the opposite of what they should do. It’s a sub-set of Get-there itis I suppose.

[@smoothvirus]

In ground school our instructor was a former Marine, and he absolutely encouraged us that if we ever got in a situation like that, declare an emergency, contact the nearest military airfield, and request a GCA approach.

[@hellatightdude]

I doubt he was familiar with GCA approaches but yeah a PAR approach into Dover would have been ideal in this situation.

[@tmeservey2723]

I know nothing at all about flying, but I find these videos fascinating. From watching several, I have learned two things: fly the weather you have, not the weather reported; if you’re the PIC, be clear and confident when communicating with the controllers.

[@1450JackCade]

NEVER let pride and politeness put you in danger or kill you, NOT EVER!

[@PassiveSmoking]

His two biggest mistakes were putting too much faith in weather predictions and in not declaring a fuel emergency when talking about landing at the military base.

[@codecodderson3607]

Yea seems like too much faith in the forecast without really any backups, forecasts are wrong more then they are right.

[@donsremodeling]

What about the 4 passes? Land the plane! Dover was obvious, he was a Naval officer for years, a surgeon, he was obviously smart and worked under immense pressure. Declare your emergency, stop and get fuel, apologize and keep flying. This is sad beyond words...

[@lazurm]

@@codecodderson3607 Not true, forecasts are accurate 80% of the time.

[@happysawfish]

@A OK : I believe he was competent. He flew the airplane in IMC plenty that day. I think you're mistaken about under fueled. The Arrow would only have about 5 hours range tops, max fuel on board, and that's where he ended up. Gliding 2 miles from the runway on a deadstick, night approach, in actual instrument conditions, with it getting colder every second also and worrying about icing in a non-deice ship. You wonder if he even tried to dial in an RNAV or an ILS in those last moments. Of course I question WHY in the heck didn't try to shoot the ILS at one of those fields? And why didn't he even TRY to make into to his destination airport? He was a surgeon of all things and probably could display the attitude that seems to go with that. So what he goes missed approach. Something he ended up doing the rest of that fateful evening. RIP Georgia comrade

[@happysawfish]

@A OK : Mother Russia demands your service Comrade ! Give willingly or under force, your service will be extracted ! (You can interchange USA - same result)

[@fahnestockjohn]

Watching this video (and others like it) should be a required part of every GA pilot's BFR. So much practical information to be learned (reminder of) here that you wouldn't get otherwise. Thanks for taking the time to produce and publish. Who knows how many lives this may save going forward.

[@ralphcorsi741]

I am a retired corporate Helicopter/Airplane pilot with a dual ATP. I still use my own small aircraft for my business. If I had gotten that weather forecast, I would have immediately cancelled my plans to fly. This would be for two reasons. The weather was quite low and I would not count on the forecast for better weather, too risky. Added to that, you would be arriving at night. I would not have felt comfortable dealing with that kind of low IFR at night. The pilot had several opportunities to change the outcome but the best would have been to find another way to get to his destination.

[@FlightX101]

Plus I believe the surgery was the next day. I would have bumped my departure time by at least 3 or 4 hours.

[@78XT500]

Ralph Corsi I agree with you. I would have canned that flight as well. Buzzing around at night in an Arrow with limited range to get completely out of the weather system causing the low ceilings is crazy. The accident happened when he decided to drive to the airport.

[@mikerossscuba]

Get-There-Itis.

[@jamesconnor9142]

Ralph Corsi I don't know what's bad about IFR flying if you can do it At Christmas flew a Mooney in snowstorm landed and almost wrecked the car getting the final miles home We didn't see land till breaking out at minimums at night.

[@rogervoss4877]

+james connor - maybe I'm misreading something here, but it sounds like you were lucky in the flying. "Breaking out at minimums" if you actually mean airport minimum visibility would be right on the edge of a closed airport. Snow can be particularly bad for localized areas of poor to no visibility. "Almost wrecked the car" might also be meant as a comparison of safety between flying & driving, but the only good thing about flying by comparison would be less worries about other traffic. As written it sounds more like a description of pushing the limits more than you realized in the air, and too far on the ground.

[@Spartan536]

This is like Air Crash Investigation, just WAY BETTER and way more informative. As a student pilot videos like these are gold.

[@FranciscoLopez-vm2oh]

Awesome video. All of these videos are part of the curriculum at Berichi Aviation for all students completing any rating (I'm a CFI at Berichi). Keep putting these videos out. We watch each video then do a follow up lesson on it, complimenting part of the reason we have a 100% Safety Record. We definitely owe some of that credit to the AOPA Safety Institute. These videos make a positive impact on aviation safety and are excellent training aides for all pilot training. Thanks for all your hard work AOPA Safety Institute.

[@EH-ip3vt]

Agreed 100%.

[@unapro3]

I guess the difference here is was the ATC switched on enough, or bothered, to pick up on the guys desperation. One would think that a big hint he was crying for help was the fact he asked if Dover was an option. A switched on ATC could have said "Only in an emergency sir, do you wish to declare an emergency?" the answer she gave almost implied that his situation wasn't an emergency and therefore Dover was not an option

[@palesakhoza7153]

This is a very valid point, his voice sounds very desperate and he even asks that the ATC continue to talk to him so that he isn't stressed yet the ATC is still nonchalant. Wow 😭😭😭

[@topspot4834]

I think that's easy to say after the fact. ATC doesn't know he's low on fuel, and he didn't tell her OR declare an emergency. In hindsight, yes, they could've done more to help, but in the end you're responsible for your own aircraft, and he made MANY bad choices along the route. Worst mistake was not inquiring about Dover initially. He flew to Salisbury without knowing if the weather was any different.

[@kevinklassen4328]

@@topspot4834 She was very cavalier even after he declared an emergency. Heartless individual. I would agree that a good ATC would have asked "how many minutes of fuel do you have remaining" and even gone as far as saying "okay, it sounds like you need to declare an emergency" when they realized how fucked he was.

[@cameronmcallister7606]

@@kevinklassen4328 Again, it's easy to say this with hindsight; the ATC has to rely on pilots to know what they are doing. She COULD have done more, yes, but you can't always ask every question available to you, as you'd not have enough time. On another note, we inevitably are not hearing everything that was said between the two, perhaps she was trying to keep him calm, or was giving regular updates, maybe she was doing everything she could once she recognised the severity of the situation, we will never know. But to blame her in any form is foolish.

[@kevinklassen4328]

​@@cameronmcallister7606 You're right, hindsight is always 20/20. However if we don't try to learn from these mistakes then we are doomed to repeat them. While pilots are allowed to make bad decisions, perhaps better ATC training could be instituted to recognize clearly poor decisions that will jeopardize not only their safety but the safety of others.

[@piperpilot26]

The biggest lesson I've learned: You never want to be featured in any of these videos.

[@mikem9246]

And you never want to hear the sad piano music.

[@jimsmith1856]

i don't know why I watch these.

[@palesakhoza7153]

Yeah, never ever. May we forever be eager to learn and never afraid to take command! 🛩️

[@NathansHVAC]

Unless it involves a woman riding the captain's log while landing 40 Knott cross winds.

[@davidmorad4405]

Shaun Daskam hardy har har har

[@daver9643]

Never be ashamed or embarrassed to declare an emergency, when it’s in an emergency!

[@daver9643]

Ghost Rider You’re totally off. There are no repercussions. No costs and no it does not affect your pilots license if you have an emergency situation

[@daver9643]

Ghost Rider No

[@Ade-qs1ws]

These videos are essential viewing for any private pilot. Gives a real perspective on how normal situations can quickly deteriorate - particularly when planning hasn't been thorough enough, and critical decisions are postponed.

[@rivercitymoodclinic5012]

I flew my Piper Archer into a thunderstorm some years ago, and it was like flying in a dark attic. I will never forget the fear that the special disorientation caused me, and thank God I had significant instrument training. The thunderstorm was a summer pop-up storm. I survived it, but I would not even fly when it was drizzling, after that event.

[@zichbold]

Spatial disorientation.

[@komet5420]

special 😂😂😂

[@MarekMarciniak]

​@komet5420 haha , I am sure it must have felt special to him lol

[@seriouscat2231]

Glad you made it out alive. And thanks for coining that concept.

[@duckgoesmooo]

Really sad to see this. In an emergency, please, just yell at atc until you get what you want. ATC is there to help, theyre good people, but they don't know necessarily what youre going through in the aircraft.

[@cdreid9999]

people are afraid of the ATC calling the FAA on them. (or just humiliating them) . And if you look around youtube for a bit you'll find that the FAA tends to cover ATC ass even if they were the ultimate cause of the accident. Theyll blame it on the pilot EVERY time

[@Vpmatt]

You get a good sense of this from commercial pilots who tend to say it like it is. And makes sense, being pros with a lot of lives at stake.

[@vicwiseman6038]

Currently training to be a controller. I found this very informative.

[@captain757747]

Vic did you make it? If you have a chance review the accident in Tenerife between Pan AM and KLM. Had the controller given specific instructions to both aircraft every on would still be alive today. I dropped a post on the you tube comments. If you get a chance read it. Let me know what you think

[@TheNixie1972]

Hi captain, I respectfully disagree with you. The controller in Tenerife did NOT clear the KLM for take-off, the first officer stated that to his captain and the captain took off without the controller saying "cleared for take-off" none the less. The rest is unfortunate circumstance, but no pilot should start rolling without confirmed "cleared for take-off".

[@cdreid9999]

@@TheNixie1972 "cleared for takeoff" was never given but they asked for takeoff instructions and the word "takeoff " was in them. ATC needs to become digital or at the least cellular. It seems like its a game for people to talk as fast as possible and to be as incomprehensible as possible. Large jets are finally at least partially digital. There is no reason all planes cant switch to an inexpensive digital system where the plane reports its call sign, heading, altitude and 'intentions' automatically to nearby atc's and automatically recieves digital instructions. Of course as this is aviation a $50 system would of course cost $5000..

[@lockergr]

I'm sure you've learned that you should have a much more sympathetic attitude and do much more to help than that last lady did. It made me cringe.

[@Tamarlane389]

lockergr she was totally heartless and devoid of any emotion, even when he declared an emergency. It seemed like he was interrupting her from doing something else.

[@NoorElahi1776]

Two things: 1) These videos are addictive and fantastic! 2) Flying is still a million times safer than my motorcycle.

[@TheVertigoalley]

After watching a whole series of their videos, I’m amazed I survived two years as a private pilot. I thought my ground school and flight instruction were important, but there’s so much I didn’t know. I could have made all these mistakes and then some.

[@documax123]

Fantastic comment.

[@jimrossi7708]

Rest In Peace sir , I know that as a big rig driver doing line haul I always checked weather and also made sure I had fuel, I would never let my tanks get below 1/4 and always knew where I could get fuel with our company credit cards but also carried at least $200 on me in case I needed to buy some where our card wasn’t accepted. It’s a shame that not only did we lose a person but a surgeon also, I also feel for his family !!

[@kevinmoffatt]

When I drove 45 tonne Shell/ BP fuel tankers part of the 10 min pre start check was to visually inspect both fuel tanks to ensure full. We started the early shift at 5.0 AM and, by the time we left the terminal, it was straight into the rush hour traffic. My mate skipped the visual check, or any check for that matter, got onto the motorway and, after queueing for 45 mins was starting to make headway. Imagine his distress when, for the first time, he glanced at the fuel gauge and it read empty! He turned back at the next slip road and chewed his nails all the way back to the terminal in case he ran out of fuel. Back safely, and now about an hour and a half behind schedule, he was at the fuel bunker and took the tank caps off; both tanks were full, just the gauge not working! He WAS pleased.

[@cdtaylor7732]

My instructor always told me, if you get lost in IMC and you have the fuel; swallow your pride and contact an AFB. The questions you face will be a lot easier to answer if you’re alive. They will fly you down if need be

[@publicmail2]

Never be embarrassed to ask or declare emergency, he could've got a GCA/PAR and talked down to the numbers being at Dover military base. With any situation you have to be assertive with people that don't want to help but should.

[@hollyanneweaver4303]

I operated a GCA/MPN-13 at Sembach, *West* Germany. There were only 5 left in existence then. 1983 when i went PCS. Us, Kadena, I think Torrejon... 2 others. As much as they were garbage, they could still get you on course, on glide path. The difference in a military controller and a civilian controller is that a military controller is trained to detect situations. 1) Pilot is executing multiple GPS missed approaches. 2) Pilot articulates GPS is malfunctioning. 3) Controller must assume navgear is unusable. 4) Determine pilot training level, remaining fuel. 5) Interrogate pilot, what is usable navgear to determine possible alternative landing modes. 6) If internal landing modes are available, assist pilot. 7) If no internal landing modes are available, determine if aircraft has sufficient fuel to reach facility with PAR. 8) If PAR is unavailable... Check down. Since Dover was available, the weather was worsening, the controllers knew it, the pilot was having instrument problems, and they failed to suggest ILS at the first attempted landing airport, they were a significantly contributing factor in my professional opinion. Inexcusable.

[@More-right-rudder]

In a recent cross-country solo, tower told me land after a departing 737 at Charlie. I asked him If I can do a right 360 to create some separation, he denied my request and I landed without any issue. But if I got caught in wake turbulence that would have been a different day. After watching this, it makes me feel like I should have just gone around and come back for a landing. Got to learn to keep my safety in mind, great lesson.

[@ClearedAsFiled]

Remember YOU are pilot in command and have the sole authority to operate the aircraft safely. .....I would have requested a long landing in order to touch down past the point where the 737 landed.....or at least go around ....

[@seriouscat2231]

@@ClearedAsFiled, departing 737. So there would have been potential wake turbulence everywhere unless he totally avoided its track.

[@GregSr]

As a Staff Sergeant, I worked with Air Force pilots while stationed at Loring AFB in northern Maine. Loring was a fully functional SAC base with nine B-52 bombers. In his off time, this one pilot would rent a Cessna from the local civilian airport just to spend more time flying. One moon-less night his Cessna had a major electrical failure forcing him to land immediately. He was closest to Loring so he decided to land there. There were no runway lights on at the time. There was no one in the control tower. He made several passes above the runway while wobbling his wings to indicate his emergency. He was trying to get someone to turn the runway lights on. No luck. At night, with no lights, it's hard to judge exactly how far you are above the runway. He tried putting the Cessna down and bounced on the runway hard - bending the propeller. He panicked and did a go-around. It took full power just to maintain flight due to the bent propeller. When he came around for another try, he was able to land the damaged plane. However, the military police were very unhappy to see a civilian plane on their military runway. They immediately detained the off duty Air Force Captain. Eventually, the higher authorities got involved and the Captain was released.

[@bobm.8558]

Plain and simple, He’s the PIC and should have declared an emergency...call Dover and say “I have an emergency and I am landing”..so sad.

[@dave92f1]

Coulda should woulda. You're right, but the Dover controller should have offered.

[@YouTube.TOM.A]

Hope you don't mind me hanging a few comments here where someone can read it. Single pilot IFR is a very demanding undertaking, the pilot had about 80 hours of instrument time; considering that the national average is about 57 hours of instructor training to be certified this indicates very low experience in a single seat situation. ceilings of 300 to 500 feet are close to the average decision height minimum of 200 ft for ILS approaches, you have to fly the approach precisely in order to be successful with those weather conditions. I don't think that there was lots of error in the GPS System since he was able to navigate to airports with precision, but i believe that he became anxious and uncertain of his progress getting close to minimums, [ and the ground ] This could be a HEAD Thing that manifest itself in times of high stress. I also believe that this is why he did not revert to the ILS system. some pilots with GPS capability believe that Raw data ILS approaches is a antiquated system. Stress made him very suggestible to all the queues provided by ATC [ who were trying to help ] without, him having to make command decisions. Be aware that besides recent experience, an aircraft owner with less than 100 hours in actual or simulated IFR conditions will be well served by paying an instructor to accompany him on low weather days, good extra training. Single pilot IFR is very dangerous for low timers and when a pilot becomes overwhelmed it does not always become noticeable in the radio transmissions but i have to admit that as a more seasoned pilot, there were many indications that he just wanted the workload to end and he became less effective with each failure. If you do a GPS approach at a destination airport and cannot complete it ask for long vectors that you can prepare for an ILS rather than trying to sharp shoot the difference between 400 ft overcast and 300 ft overcast at other airports. Only you know when you are truly ready to command an airplane in bad weather if you are the owner. There is no natural ability that can overcome the assurance of operational experience.

[@YouTube.TOM.A]

@Tony From Syracuse/ dave92f1 I was a flight instructor and went on to commercial flying. After learning to fly one must concern himself / herself with command of the airplane. that means formulating a situational response to conditions present and being able to clearly articulate your intentions and elicit information to support or challenge your plan. The controller should be timely advised about minimum fuel and declare an emergency. [ too many pilots have a paperwork aversion ] If you cannot fly a 200 ft ILS [ 1/2 mile ] 2400 rvr you are a VFR pilot regardless of your IFR ratings. all the airports suggested were above minimums, with all the abandoned approaches and missed approaches, I am not confident that the military option would have been successful.

[@YouTube.TOM.A]

@Tony From Syracuse I am convinced that controllers try to play a neutral but advisory role in the conduct of a pilot's flight plan. You should be convinced that they respond to request and assist in actions predetermined by the pilot in command. There may be legal reasons behind that position taken. Controllers do not know your weaknesses; Recency of experience; or proficiencies. They avoid leading you into some action that may not be of your own formulation. This is part of the command and decision making proficiency that comes with experience and proper training. REMEMBER that flight time requirements for ratings are minimums. more training is always beneficial. also if you declare an emergency, or are lost, or overwhelmed, so state, and there may be more leeway in the actions taken to help the pilot.

[@YouTube.TOM.A]

BE ADVISED. ATC IS NOT THERE TO COMPENSATE FOR YOUR LACK OF PROFICENCY OR TO SAVE YOUR BUTT. They have and often will make the difference in a situation where a pilot makes it in safely, but that instructor who trains you and sign's you off plus your instrument check airman are supposed to insure that you are capable of operating in IMC [ instrument meteorological conditions ] and can do so without any spectacular crutches.

[@blaws6684]

Your plane will always find the ground, with or without your help

[@bluehornet6752]

Truer words have never been spoken.

[@neilfrasersmith]

A comforting thought next time I'm in turbulence.

[@tedcarter8074]

So true

[@blaws6684]

y je - I didn’t say it would be good at it

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Yeah, that's what I said. He could've said nicely that the plane was coming down one way or the other.

[@jeepyb]

These videos are great. They really make you think and run through scenarios in your head.

[@chrisw4562]

What a tragic loss. He sounded like a very nice gentleman. I can totally see how one would be physically and mentally exhausted after spending hours flying in the dark with low visibility and many missed approaches. In addition to the excellent points of the video, for me the main lesson learned is to reserve private pilot flying for recreational purposes and not add any pressure of other commitments.

[@deeacosta2734]

These videos are awesome. I’m not even a pilot but I appreciate the analysis of human nature. How the human brain operates under stress while doing complex tasks.

[@pilotnwv1]

As a current air traffic controller I cringe at the way the controllers acted in this situation. It doesn't appear that ANY of them were helpful any more than was required. Towards the end of this video, and prior to him giving much indication that he was facing an issue, you can clearly hear in his voice that he is becoming increasingly stressed. The exchange regarding landing at Dover brings up a good point. I firmly believe that he would have been less apprehensive in declaring an emergency if he didn't think the iron fist of the FAA would come down on him. The FAA has created an atmosphere of over reaction and heavy handedness that has made most pilots (and even ATC) feel that the less the FAA knows the better. In this case declaring an emergency is bad enough...landing at a military base is the cherry on top. HOWEVER in this case, knowing what I know from both the ATC and pilot world, I would have landed at Dover without question...my feeling is that they would have been easier to deal with then the FAA.

[@mike_oe]

Being a VFR pilot myself, I'm so happy to hear you say that. While I won't bring up any criticism here, I have to admit that I was baffled over the exchange at Dover.

[@cageordie]

It's a lot easier to apologize when you are alive too. It's unlikely the FAA would sentence you to death. I guess this answers my recurring question "Why are American pilots unwilling to declare an emergency?"

[@AlexanderBrown4068]

Chris - try declaring an emergency with the iron fist that is the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia. Mate, private GA pilots can't look sideways without fearing we're doing something wrong. I'd be absolutely shit scared to even utter the word "emergency" with the amount of bureaucracy and finger pointing we have in Australia.

[@josephking6515]

Remember Alexander that we have been told that pilots are criminals that just haven't been caught yet. A great atmosphere to fly in, eh!

[@ItsNotAllRainbows_and_Unicorns]

I too cringed at the way the last controller spoke to the pilot. It was like she was reaching over for her coffee while trying to vector the pilot to the runway. I was waiting for. "Can you excuse me one minute. i need to take this call from a friend."

[@flygirlv2013]

I always feel my heart drop when they play the final transmission.

[@topspot4834]

Same. I actually lower the volume. It's gut wrenching.

[@Virtualmix]

@@kittyhawk9707 Go see a psychiatrist.

[@ramonmoreno8014]

@@kittyhawk9707 Thank you for some much-needed perspective in this heart-dropping time

[@kittyhawk9707]

@@ramonmoreno8014 Yup ..comedy central this stuff ..

[@kittyhawk9707]

@@Virtualmix wah wah wah ..crybaby

[@tproking]

Sad. This story touched me as I'm starting my instrument training in a Piper Arrow. I think the deal breaker was when he didn't try the ILS approach while he still had fuel. My instructor told me yesterday if I'm ever in trouble find the nearest airport with an ILS and shoot the approach. GPS is nice but can be finicky programming so go to the tried & true ILS and don't be afraid to declare an emergency when needed.

[@ubroberts5541]

This is one of the most tragic case studies. I’ve watched it at least five times. Heartbreaking.

[@banjo2019]

This needs to be said: Dr. Clifford Turen was a surgeon, a Navy veteran, a skilled pilot, a volunteer firefighter, a special deputy federal marshal, and more. Should his family ever read this, they should know that we pilots are grateful for his years of heroic service, and his loss was not in vain because this story has impacted many of us with its valuable lessons. There’s another thing about Dr. Turen that the rest of us should take heed of and that should make his family proud: he fought for his life and kept flying the plane as long as he humanly could. Never stop fighting. Never give up.

[@PresidentGuile]

If a skilled pilot is one who runs out of fuel and dies in a crash then your bar for “skilled pilot” is unbelievably low.

[@banjo2019]

@@PresidentGuile Yeah but he died being a bad ass and on his way to performing a surgery. You’ll probably die one day writing KZbin comments while on a toilet seat.

[@CommanderRiker0]

@@PresidentGuile Have to agree. Running out of fuel is unbelievable for anyone with an IQ above 80.

[@arthouston7361]

I had a situation flying a part 91 trip to OSU, where the controller was using an RNAV approach. I wanted the ILS, and he grudgingly let me have vectors for it. Never be afraid to ask for what you want to stay safe. The weather was deteriorating, and I popped out just above ILS minimums.

[@michaelkroberts1037]

I just discovered this channel and appreciate how well presented the 'accident case studies' are. So sorry for the loss of this pilot : / He definitely should have declared an emergency and had the Air Force controller guide him in

[@MegaBakerdude]

I knew it was an emergency when she said "unless it is an emergency". Sad that the pilot didn't.

[@cityuser]

After she said that, and he shortly after said "Mayday mayday mayday I'm declaring an emergency" I 100% thought she was gonna say "Yeah, nice try buddy"

[@johnh9637]

Seems like something to remember: If ATC says something can be done "if it's an emergency," perhaps the pilot should take that as a hint.

[@nickinportland]

I’m not a pilot but I love these videos. The info is useful for just about everything. I just won’t fly into a bunch of trees if I mess up applying them.

[@-Wreckanize-]

Declaring an emergency once you're out of fuel? Nothing the ATC can do to help you. If you're less than 30 minutes of fuel, it's an emergency.

[@itzajdmting]

Another extremely sad loss for the GA community. I think the issue about not speaking up when you're struggling is a very serious one. It's kind of an issue in general; some individuals have a hard time fessing up that they need assistance, or that their plans have gone awry. It's crucial to say whatever you need to no matter how uncomfortable it might make one feel. The evaluation says the pilot overlooked the ILS approach at Salisbury; however, this was in the opposite direction. I'm only a student and have no instrument time at all, but considering a downwind approach in times of crisis sounds non-intuitive to me, I imagine my mind would be elsewhere, too. It's a shame the controllers couldn't do more, the last one in particular. Yet the pilot was not forthcoming enough about the reality of his situation, so they were none the wiser. These evaluations are extremely well produced and invaluable to all pilots - students and veterans alike. I've learned an incredible amount from them, well done ASI, please keep them up.

[@idrisea3247]

+Rob S - I'm not IFR certified yet, but i believe that if the winds are calm, it's common to shoot an approach in the other direction. There's also the ILS back course which can be used where the instrument senses for Left and Right are reversed.

[@FlightX101]

I understand the stress factor (I'm a low time student but I can't imagine failing three approaches in imc conditions). however sadly the pilot and atc should seen the ils opportunity. The lower ceiling combined with with a "real" glideslope would have eased his nerves and land safely

[@wf4919]

+Rob S I think the controllers could have done waaaay better.....his tone indicated desperation.....the controller down south basically sent him back north after 2 failed approaches.....with another approach with lower mins. Pilots need to be flexible....but so do controllers...think out of the box a little bit. I'm assuming they were not very busy....tho...and that is something that may have been a factor.

[@itzajdmting]

+William F Yes, I know what you mean. It is a real shame that all the stops weren't pulled out, and I feel they would have been if the pilot was more direct about how critical his situation was. A very sad, perhaps needless loss of life.

[@HeRacesTheSun]

In many cases, the human ego would rather die than admit fault or declare an emergency.

[@thepurpleufo]

This is a great video...as an AOPA member I'm glad they are making good use of funds. A terribly sad story though...sorry.

[@stephensmith4480]

A clever skilled man Who was out of his depth,in this situation. God Bless You And R.I.P.

[@malcolmgerald]

But he wasn't, he had many opportunities to land he just turned them all down. Seems very dodgy to me.

[@MagnarNordal]

Airline pilot here. I have the luxury of having a competent colleague at my side, top-notch avionics, and cabin crew that can serve coffee and refreshments. There are many lessons to be learned here. It is important to remember that single-pilot IFR is the most demanding a pilot can do. Therefore, you need extra margins. And your plan B must be very good.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Yeah, he was going to land either way. I'd aim for the one where I'd have some control.

[@cpmffeilberg4970]

My late husband used to fly pipers. He also flew Cessna and other light aircraft. He wouldn't fly in bad weather with low ceilings.

[@johnemerson1363]

I have many hundreds of IFR time in light planes. I have never made an approach when weather was at minimums. I always had at least 100 feet above minimums. I just didn't want to push it. Because of that I've diverted a few times.

[@bartsimpson3799]

He had to be getting tired poor guy. Flying In the soup takes it out of you. DON'T EVER BE SCARED TO REQUEST AN ASR.

[@TCPUDPATM]

Despite being a video about being lessons learned, I like that you closed out the video with the doctor in a positive light. Cheers.

[@DeeplyRooted07]

Controllers can declare an emergency for pilots. This accident is so sad, the controller should have ask how much fuel do you have? Controllers should do more to help. And yes I understand that the pilot was hesitant to call it an emergency... But come one let's save lives...

[@cageordie]

In another video, a controller chimed in, The video was a pilot with double generator failure who still continued. He said that the battery was good, but a couple of engineers pointed out that when you've had both parts of a redundant generator system fail you have to get suspicious of a common cause, and one possibility was fire, so... are you sure it's not an emergency? He did tell the controller he was having electrical problems, but he wasn't specific enough. The commenting controller said that he would have treated it as an emergency. The difficulty with the military is that they need to hear the magic word before they can allow the civilian to land, and they can't make you say it, and they can't just pretend you did. But he could have asked why the unlucky pilot was asking.

[@DeeplyRooted07]

Another thing is, when I become a CFI, I will emphasize that is okay to declare an emergency even though it may not be one. We as pilots sometimes are very hesitant to talk to controllers (especially GA Pilots) because we want to sound like we know. When we hear the magic words "what are your intentions" our reply should be "I want to declare an emergency..." When ATC says those magic words that's what they are expecting to hear.

[@AsaelBaez]

Controllera can declare emergencies for pilots.

[@747-pilot]

The other controllers seemed fine to me. It was that last controller (the military woman I think?) that was shockingly bad. She seemed completely apathetic, even when the pilot was in a "near emergency" situation. Her attitude (from her tone of voice) seemed to me like "Oh, I can't be bothered if you live or die ... not my problem". What a bitch!

[@BrightBlueJim]

I heard it differently. I think when she heard he was out of fuel and going down, she continued to give him instructions but was screaming inside, "you're not going to make it!"

[@killmoreturtles]

Watching all of these, I realize now that I'd be a terrible pilot. I have trouble asking for directions, trouble admitting mistakes, and I've very agreeable.

[@HCheatNcool]

How is this content so good? I’m not a pilot but I’ve laughed, cried, and shook my head through this video

[@dylconnaway9976]

These are just incredible videos. Wonderful teaching tool and I am sure the AOPA is responsible for saving many lives. Thank you.

[@bleedinmaroon1]

Something to keep in mind for those who find themselves in a fuel emergency: minimums are no longer binding. Fly it down until you see pavement. Calculate a CDA if need be, 300’ per mile.

[@dave92f1]

Only if there's no reasonable alternative. Those minimums are there for a reason - there are obstacles to be avoided.

[@joegoodin6504]

I was flying that day from KFPR to KHEF with a stop at KHXD in a Columbia 400. I had plenty of fuel and could have flown back to NC if I had to. METAR was at minimums at HEF (Calm, 200ft OC, vis 2mi, BR) and my alternate KIAD was only slightly better, but the TAF said it was scheduled to improve. As we approached HEF it was obvious that it wasn't improving as quickly as it was supposed to; however, KCHO was MVFR. As I started the ILS 16L approach to KHEF at CSN a plane went missed at HEF on the ILS. I had already advised Potomac Approach that if I didn't make it into HEF I was heading to CHO, which was getting even better. Luckily I had another instrument rated pilot with me. As I reached DA on the ILS he called out seeing the approach lights, I continued down another 100ft and he called seeing the RW threshold. It was dark, bare minimums, and we'd been flying all day. I was so glad to be on the ground. I learned about the Arrow going down the next day. The story was strangely familiar. I was fortunate to have another pilot with me, much more fuel, and a safety valve (CHO) where it was relatively assured I could get in..

[@farisle6602]

These videos are fascinating and at the same time heart wrenching. I find myself just saying 'NO! turn back!' or 'Land at the nearest airport' or 'fly another day'. Yet these tragedies serve the immense purpose of ensuring these loses are not in vain by teaching others. The lessons pilots can learn from them surely will save lives. It is just a shame lives must be lost to preserve others. RIP.

[@barowt]

The narrator is good in these videos, always love clear and enunciated words. And at a good volume.

[@Gus1966-c9o]

This narrator is top notch .

[@Crystal-be9ze]

What makes me so mad is that he says he’s going down “keep talking to me” clearly he just needed a compassionate person he knew he was going to die 😢 people don’t let your pride get in the way of living your life!

[@YHBW1001]

So true.

[@karleastman5456]

AbsoFreakinLutely

[@Crystal-be9ze]

David Miorgan what do you mean by that? Who had no pride? I was trying to say the radio traffic controller should have been so robotic and maybe he could have deviated from his script, as for the pilot I felt like he was letting his pride get in the way of just coming out and saying “I need you to pray for me or tell my family I love them or can you just talk to me I’m scared”

[@rogerwilco2]

I think he was overwhelmed flying the glider in IMC, maybe with reduced instruments. He asked ATC to talk to him for status updates on his course and position, as he needed all his efforts to stay airborne as long as possible. He was to occupied to navigate, so he asked the ATC help. That's what it sounds like to me.

[@patmarkwell3283]

Air safety institute

[@chrisj197438]

Was flying with a relative 30 years ago when we had a mechanical failure. I was only 10 and scared to death. He called an emergency and landed at Wright-Patterson in Dayton Ohio. Everyone seemed nice about it and helpful. It seems if you have a true emergency there will not be any problems.

[@33moneyball]

Bizarre that a guy that accomplished in a stressful and highly technical field was so passive, imprecise, and impetuous in the plane. He didn’t declare an emergency until he was already effectively dead....it was an emergency 30 minutes before.

[@Gabriel-ml7ev]

"There is NO WAY you can land here" It is very unprofessional from ATC to talk on this tone... If he said "You can land here, but only in an emergency " the outcome could have been very different.

[@user-gc2jx4gj2q]

Come on, she said "Unless it's an emergency", you can't expect her to reason "maybe this guy is shy or too proud to admit he is in trouble so maybe I should choose my words wisely so he will be encouraged to declare an emergency if he is really in trouble." The ATC didn't do anything wrong. it's totally unfair to try to implicate her. Ultimately it's the pilot's responsibility to 1.check his fuel 2. recognize he is in an emergency situation 3. communicate clearly about his situation and intentions. Casually asking if he can land in a military base doesn't cut it.

[@Gabriel-ml7ev]

@@user-gc2jx4gj2q Still, speaking on the radio on this tone is not professional. And I doubt that "no way" is standard terminology in aviation

[@user-gc2jx4gj2q]

@@Gabriel-ml7ev The pilot's question is very casual and non-standard and does not convey any sense of urgency, “I don’t suppose there’s any chance I can land at Dover”. The response "Negative sir" was standard and to the point. Because he is not declaring an emergency, he doesn't mention his fuel situation , he doesn't even ask to land there, but rather muses casually, while somehow answering his own question. if he is so nonchalant about his own life why should we expect the ATC to be that responsible and considerate about her wording? At least she cared to mention the exception about emergency. Unfortunately I think the pilot was either unaware of the gravity of his situation or did not know running low on fuel is indeed an emergency.

[@keyweststeve3509]

It blows my mind seeing the number of people here actually trying to blame the ATC which is utterly ridiculous. He had done so many things right but the one thing he did wrong is what killed him and that was when the ATC told him he couldn't land there unless it was an emergency that he didn't say anything about his predicament or just declare the emergency. And come on, her "tone is not professional"?... You seem strangely compelled to find a way to blame the woman. There was nothing remarkable about her tone considering it's a military base. If you want soft and cuddly you'll need to look elsewhere.

[@Gabriel-ml7ev]

@@keyweststeve3509 Are you insinuating I am sexist? I think there is no point having a discussion with you in that case 😂

[@blueb0g]

Keep doing these - they are excellent.

[@14598175]

It is SO easy to Monday morning quarterback an accident like this, but the truth is, when you're up there, you're trying to work the problem so intensely that I think your mind pushes the worst case scenario out of the picture to prevent panic. I watch this and think "duh" yet I did the EXACT same thing 21 years ago. I had 450 hours, was in the same plane (not the T-tail though), only it was a Naval air station that I avoided. However, I was VERY lucky. My prayers go out to him & his family. - CFII/CMEL

[@takingthescenicroute1610]

But it always is the "Monday morning quarterback" situation after the disaster happens -- even when the "quarterback" is the NTSB!

[@KingoftheJuice18]

Your point about natural tendencies may be correct, which is why instruction like this--to overcome those tendencies--is vital.

[@juniorphillipmckie4435]

The 4 golden Cs of an emergency situation... Climb, Call, Confess and Comply. However sometimes climbing may not be an option.

[@rykehuss3435]

Yes climbing into icing is not a good idea

[@documax123]

They are all heart breaking and tragic. But this one seems to affect me in a unique way.

[@ripper8771]

This is the second accident I hear about where a pilot opted not to declare an emergency at a military airfield. Truly sad. While training fro my CPL the forecast announced a snow squall 3 hours from the time I wanted to make a one hour training flight so off I went. The snow squall hit much sooner than forecasted and found myself fying over tree tops near two mountains! I did not hesitate asking ATC for vectors via VDF to get me safe to an alternate airport. I new I was in grave danger and could have easily been a statistic. I gained a whole new respect for the word “Forecast”

[@simongarrettmusic]

I'm a guy that's never found it hard to ask for help when I needed it. Doesn't make me feel emasculated to acknowledge that someone else might know something i don't.

[@GlowingMpd]

👍

[@justincase5272]

20+ years retired USAF aviator: There is NO shame in declaring an emergency! There is also NO problem with landing at a military field during an emergency, and the only thing that will occur is a short debriefing so they can fill out a report. They're GLAD to help out aviator's in trouble, and that happens more often than you might think. It's a FAR better thing to do than leave your loved ones behind. We members of the military literally live to help others. It's in our blood.

[@dave92f1]

Agreed! In fact it takes some guts to declare an emergency. Quite the opposite of shame.

[@billbright1755]

By all means, if you feel your in real trouble, admit it and all air ports including military bases will endeavor to help. Flying around till you run out of fuel is a recipe for a crash.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Yup. See Lynyrd Skynyrd crash.

[@GlowingMpd]

Agreed 👍 P. S. “…if you feel (YOU’RE)…”.😇

[@rdaystrom4540]

With a little empathy for the obviously troubled pilot the controller could have saved his life.

[@TriangleChoke69]

THIS wtf...

[@Defender78]

10:23 "can I land at Dover?" "Negative" or she could have said "We do not allow civilian planes on base, but if you have to land, contact us immediately and we'll help you out."

[@nyontozel]

she didn't give s single flying F man!

[@southwind3]

@@nyontozel AMEN!

[@Luvurenemy]

@ko7577If you just listen to the words you’re missing 95% of human communication.

[@airplanefanatic2844]

My father has recently finished his refresher simulator training course for the TBM 700, and he was one of 100 to pass (survive) a very straightforward exercise that every pilot should do. Low on fuel, marginal weather conditions, and the airport he was supposed to be directing to, had shut down. The only reason he survived the simulation? Declaring an emergency, opening up US Air force bases for landing. Something this taught him, and he then taught me "Don't be ashamed or afraid to declare an emergency. Your life is far more important than your pride." And I keep this close to my heart whenever I get in a plane.

[@thepurpleufo]

This was horrible to listen to...the guy's last minutes. "Keep talking to me, please!"

[@Threewulphmoon]

negative, negative, negative,,.

[@callbackdons]

Yeah. "Keep talking to me please!" was rough.. The law of attraction was already taking over. :(

[@rejuvenatingsoul3498]

"NEGaative, NEGAtive, NEGatIVE"

[@sarahalbers5555]

I hope his loved ones did not hear this. It is just heartbreaking.

[@muchluv2221]

Rest In Peace. Surgeon and pilot what a talent!

[@MrSoccerball100]

Not just a surgeon. He was a world renowned trauma surgeon with an insane resume. Google Clifford Turen.

[@Hot80s]

What a talented loss.

[@CS-cr1uf]

@@MrSoccerball100 He was my neighbor growing up - his kids were a couple years ahead of me. Really great guy, not just an amazing surgeon but a genuinely good human being. Took care of me when I busted my wrist as a kid and again as a teenager when I had problems at home - he opened up his and provided a safe place for me.

[@DougHanchard]

Lots of very valuable lessons learned in this video. A pilots license (endorsement) is simply the first step in gaining experience. Was the GPS actually faulty, or was the operator rusty or inexperienced in how to use it. We will never fully know. I can't stress enough the importance of the video's message about using US Air Force bases in an emergency landing situation. The same is true for almost all NATO bases worldwide. They *will* help you. In fact, they are eager to help when the situation is dire. They are some of the very best trained Air Traffic Controllers in the world. It's up to you, the pilot, to be aware of your options. I dare say, even if Air Force One was on a 10 mile approach, if a Cessna C-150 was in trouble and declared an emergency, AF1 would be instructed to go around and wait. That's how serious military controllers take their job.

[@catprog]

Or was it disorientation. The GPS was recording the right thing and he was reading it correctly, but he thought he was elsewhere.

[@goodkrypollo1706]

I'm glad in these case study's, professionals put their feelings aside. Sometimes things have to be said that we don't want to hear necessarily. But we need to hear. For example questioning the judgement or decision making of an accident victim.

[@daryalukicheva2358]

I've just started to learn flying and these videos are immensely helpful. Thank you!

[@mikethebeginner]

Terrible, tragic accident. So sorry for his family and loved ones.