Fatal Ferry Flight! NTSB Prelim PA-31P

What were they thinking...?!
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#blancolirio #flyingeyes #aviationsafety #ntsb

[@pittss2c601]

For many years, I shared a hangar with an airline Captain who eventually retired. His Piper Super Cruiser stayed in our hangar for 20+ years full of dust and dirt. He got a ferry permit, added gas and took off to have it professionally restored. He crashed about 4 minutes later.

[@2Phast4Rocket]

Tell me if this is a real story.

[@ostrich67]

Should have flown on the back of a flatbed.

[@pittss2c601]

@@2Phast4Rocket it's real

[@SigisTravelVideos]

Glad he retired. I guess it's better crashing his own airplane than an airliner with 100's of passengers 🙁

[@ianutube22]

In a hanger sitting it shouldn't have been in terrible shape. Old fuel clog up the carb or something? Sorry to hear that.

[@runeburdahl7141]

I used to fly these in Canada back in the 90's. They are fast and a challenge to handle for inexperienced pilots. Safety starts on the ground. I risked my career many times by refusing to fly in adverse conditions, overweight or with any kind of fault. Maybe the reason why I'm not flying anymore. But I'm alive. Cheers from Norway.

[@golfswingbodymechanicsinte2854]

Sweet! Good judgement beats superior pilot skills in a pinch like this! 😂😂

[@chicketychina8447]

Did you go to NAIA in South Carolina ?

[@donalddodson7365]

So often we are reminded: Rules and Regulations are written in the failures of others. Thankfully only 1 fatality and no pre-flight casualties during fuel leak fiasco.

[@SubTroppo]

...in the failure of others (who may or may not be truculent transgressive bleep-wits).

[@jimpalmer1969]

Correction, regulations are written in the blood of others.

[@GeomancerHT]

Pretty sure the owner got his insurance paid in full...

[@tonywilson4713]

I think you'll find that the saying is more like: Rules, Regulations and Standards are written in blood. I am an engineer and I have worked in some industries where the rules are incredibly strict and you here all the time in such industries about its written in blood and sometimes "the blood of innocents" as an allusion to the fact most times the people actually responsible are NOT held accountable.

[@brentsutherland6385]

Yeah, it cannot be pleasant for the lineman to have fuel gushing out of the aircraft!

[@russell3380]

Watching that take off gave me the same feeling I have when I look at my 401K.

[@eltomas3634]

Bidenomics is an unrecoverable death spiral

[@donQpublic]

😂 haaaaAAAaA!

[@mrbmp09]

Yep, FJB!

[@shoalsailing]

You misspelled FDJT, but spelling is likely not your strong point

[@TreeLBollingTreeMan]

@@shoalsailing Don't get your LGBTQIA2S+ panties in a wad.

[@bigjeff1291]

Three ferry pilots refused to do the ferry flight? That should have sent a VERY clear message to the owner.

[@timmotel5804]

Remember: "Arguing with a fool, just proves that there are 2 of them"...

[@MrRem7600]

you can't help stupid. Stay in aviation long enough you occasionally come across this kind of personality type. Best to get as far away as possible once you do.

[@boommasterkc-135____8]

I knew the accident pilot and I scratch my head at the decision he made or the circumstances surrounding it. It’s easy to sit alive on the internet and not see the Swiss cheese model which stacks up to a mishap. Instead of saying, “That could never happen to me.” Change the perspective to, “how could I find myself in the same situation?” Many pilots kill themselves by exceeding their experience to handle a situation. Fortunately, channels like this allow you to learn by their poor decisions and better equip you with experience.

[@GeomancerHT]

What if the dead pilot wasn't disclosed three pilots declined before... that's shady...

[@jimmyhaley727]

money, the lack of OR the desire of@@boommasterkc-135____8

[@stefkadank-derpjr1453]

Brings back memories of Ohio and my best friend. Her Grandfather lived on their farm with the fam. Grandpa was in his late 70's and he had an airplane out under a pole barn in the middle of a field. For years everytime I was there he was out working on that plane. I asked my friend if he ever flew in it....and she said no....he was just working on it. Her Mom then said.....that plane is never going up in the air but Grandpa doesn't know that. This, keeps him happy, busy...tinkering away at it.

[@lesb3481]

I've got nearly 1000 hrs in the PA-31P *Pressurized Navajo* and in my experience, the Lycoming TIGO-541, 425 hp geared engines are temperamental and delicate to manage on their best days. Having them sit in a field for several years and then expecting them to do anything but fly you directly to the scene of the accident, is being overly-optimistic. Of course, having rotten, leaky fuel bladders so the aircraft is being bathed in avgas is also probably going to contribute to a bad outcome.

[@major__kong]

My mechanic used to call the pressurized Navajo a pig-aho. Sounds like he was right.

[@WingsUp757]

😣

[@idanceforpennies281]

If fuel is leaking out, that also means air is leaking in. The potential for a vapour lock is incalculable. That might be the reason he never got full power - it's a fuel delivery problem.

[@tgmccoy1556]

I was around a P-Navajo some did pilot service for the owners I flew the company CR. Much better aircraft. Tried to talk them into a Cheyenne. To no avail. One day , I noticed a slight miss in the left engine. Told the mechanic. He said he heard it too. Was told to Ignore it. When the boss got back from his fishing trip to Montana (he was the pilot) he'd have a look. Engine failure enroute if the thing barfed on takeoff on a Backcountry strip. He sold the P. (2nd Engine in 800 hrs.) Used the CR for quite a while then a C-90

[@craig7350]

How do you know it had that particular engine?

[@arlynsmith9196]

I hadno idea Doug was the owner - thought he was just the ferry pilot but guess I really did not know. He was a retired 20 year Continental Captain, Boeing flight instructor, Beech conpany instructor. I have no idea why he did this flight. I am truly amazed. Maybe at 78 or 79 years old he thought he was bullet proof. Am wondering if he would have tried this flight 20 years ago and guess probably not.

[@pittss2c601]

I have flown with many airline pilots who are not so great. Many, not all, lack skill and judgement for GA aircraft.

[@scottmoseley5122]

looking for more backstory. Thanks.

[@davidhoffman1278]

​​@@pittss2c601, I read an article about that issue a long time ago. One conclusion/theory was that airline pilots are so used to having a copilot handle the heads down aspects of aviating, navigating, and communicating that they get overwhelmed when they have to do all those tasks by themselves in addition to actually physically flying the aircraft.

[@boommasterkc-135____8]

I knew Colonel Captain Doug and was under the same impression. I have no idea what he was thinking and wish he hadn’t made up his mind on that decision. He was like no one I’ve ever met.

[@2Phast4Rocket]

The Airbus computer makes you a good pilot.

[@jimbo7577]

I think you nailed it, Juan. It's easy to just call the pilot foolish, but to understand the financial or time pressures that can cause someone to disregard their better judgment is something every pilot should be alert to.

[@bluetx54]

another excellent analysis....you continue bring us truth and not speculation.....keep it going....

[@joephysics5469]

But it is speculation with conviction...

[@PrimeHiFi]

As an A&P who has helped with pre ferry inspections myself, some of the shit I’ve seen is terrifyingly scary lol.

[@judd_s5643]

I had the opportunity to ferry a single once that was a hanger queen for 14 years. I looked the airframe over extensively and was satisfied, but the motor, it ran, had compression, didn’t leak but I was not comfortable with it so I passed! Intuition has saved by bacon a number of times in 40years of flying! It did make it to the destination safely!

[@gracelandone]

Sometimes it’s financial stress. Sometimes it’s too much commitment to the dream of what the owner envisions the plane to be once it is restored or updated. Stardust.

[@jasoncarswell7458]

I have personally been there. It sucks, keeps you up at night worrying that you've squandered your life savings and will never recoup your money. But the worst thing you can do is double down on stupid - when the 3rd ferry pilot specifically told him "No, none of us will fly that thing, it's not safe", he should have called it quits and reevaluated his options.

[@wouldntyouliketoknow9891]

Ironically, this flight likely completely solved the financial problems. Insurance doesn't cover suicide, but it DOES cover stupidity. His insurance will pay out and his next of kin will be doing alright.

[@youtbe999]

Sometimes it's too old and stubborn.

[@purrple.shadows]

It's most probably cognitive decline that caused him to make this decision, financial pressure or not.

[@Jedward108]

I always appreciate your restraint which doesn't hamper you making clear statements of fact and offering your professional opinion.

[@LowWingFlyer]

That takeoff speed barely looked like a fast taxi, frightening! Thanks, Juan for just reporting the facts and not putting ego and attitude into a conclusion like another accident reporting KZbinr.

[@goldeneaglejk2678]

Yeah I bet my Jeep could have beat that Piper in a drag race YIKES!

[@goldeneaglejk2678]

Why do these stories always seem to start with “the pilot-mechanic”? Reminds me of the B-17 crash. I don’t even change my own oil.

[@LowWingFlyer]

@@goldeneaglejk2678 at least not without having an oil analysis and opening the filter to check for anything unusual. Long story short if you’re going to invest in $100,000 plus airplane what’s the cost of an oil change, right?

[@bovineknievel410]

@@LowWingFlyer The major fuel leak is the key point. The bladders were dry rotted to the point where they probably contaminated the fuel with small particles of rubber not to mention what else was growing in there.

[@LowWingFlyer]

@@bovineknievel410 yes, for the life of me, why would anyone still take off when they see something like that?

[@arnenelson4495]

I once did an inspection on a Skymaster that was kept in a field uncovered for long periods and the damage done by rats and mice was amazing since they chew up wires, etc. (Removing dead ones is assigned to the newest A&P).

[@getyoursupervisor8519]

I know of a Seneca sitting IN a hangar for 3 month that had been mouse infested and had tens of thousands dollars worth of damage due to them little ctritters...

[@SteamCrane]

This probably started with the title picture of the plane sitting in the field. It looked pretty nice, very tempting to do a little bit of work on it and have a nice plane cheap. Or maybe he watched "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo".

[@iamthevanavator281]

I learned a long time ago that some airplanes you can get into for cheap (relatively) but they are very very expensive to maintain putting you squarely behind the eight ball 🎱.

[@scarybaldguy]

Nothing more expensive than a cheap twin.

[@FlightX101]

@@scarybaldguycheap twins are always hell. If you’re not paying at least half a million expect at least one major 5 figure bill to bring the plane up to code

[@josiahwaters1706]

@blancolirio - can you give us your thoughts on the N53RP crash - single pilot operation of a Beechcraft C99 (operating as Wiggin 1046). Very strange case. Loss of situational awareness, coupled with icing?

[@aileron48]

Excellent report Juan. My condolences to the family.

[@tnargdonald]

Navajo driver here. I can’t imagine how little boost that motor was making to not fly. We have a 310 we fly at gross 6850 with VG and that airplane comes of the ground effortlessly with 230 less horsepower.

[@GyroGypsy3456]

OH my ...how horrible ...Doug was highly respected member of our EAA chapter! From the testimonies of friends at his memorial service I understood he was ferrying the aircraft as favor for the owner! NOT that he was the owner!????

[@davidfrench5407]

The registry does show a different owner. I know those are horribly out of date sometimes, but I unless it changed hands in the last year or two, the pilot did not appear to be the owner.

[@DrJohn493]

Fatally poor decision making whoever the pilot was. I'm thinking it was someone with a big watch and shiny big brass ones; we've all know the kind at one time or another when we've been around airports long enough.

[@krautyvonlederhosen]

I’d be curious to know if the owner informed Doug of the three other declines to fly it.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

So why on earth would he have continued the takeoff if he had no financial interest at stake?

[@brianmorrison7542]

God rest him

[@i.r.wayright1457]

"There are a lot of parts inside those engines, and all they want to do is...GET OUT!" said a corporate pilot who used to fly one. On a cold winter day, he would arrive very early for a flight, get the plane outside and run it up until it was nice and toasty. Then when the passengers arrived for the flight he would be nearly ready to go when they were. The engines have a 1200 hour TBO, for good reason.

[@paynej32013]

I have a bunch of time maintaining a p Navajo as well as standard Navajo and chieftains. The p Navajo uses 425 hp tigo-541 lycomings. An absolute beast of an engine. That sounded like maybe 70% power. There are a series of valves and pumps in the wing roots. Fuel selector, 2 boost pumps, a fuel strainer, and a firewall shutoff valve. I suspect one of these had a large leak and partially starved the engine. There is also the problem with the turbo. These babies should make 54 inches of manifold pressure at 3200 rpm (geared engine).

[@josephoberlander]

Everyone knows what they should sound like - it's a very distinctive buzzing sound. No buzz - something dreadfully wrong.

[@paynej32013]

@@josephoberlander you should hear it with 4 blade Mt composite props

[@paynej32013]

@@josephoberlander I also wouldn't say everyone. They didn't build very many before the much more sensible Cheyenne came out.

[@josephoberlander]

@@paynej32013 ooo :) I bet it's even louder. lol.

[@donwilson6617]

I appreciate your professional way of presenting this type of information...You have one of the best...if not the best reports on you tube. There are some so called "experts" which put more opinion than facts...Thanks for your videos...

[@danielsexton467]

Thanks Juan, outstanding report. Stubbornness kills.

[@nancychace8619]

It can, for sure. In a hurry going nowhere.

[@major__kong]

We had a guy trying to fly a British Beagle 206 out of a local airport back in 2002. Very similar circumstances. Airplane sat for a long time. Pilot couldn't get the engines started. Mechanic drained almost 3 gallons of water out. Pilot filled up but no one observed him sumping fuel. A witness observed the airplane use almost all the runway and barely climb. He stalled and spun into a local neighborhood. The airplane sprayed avgas all over the front of a house and set it on fire. If I'm not mistaken, they determined the left engine wasn't making power at time of impact, and to crash into that neighborhood you had to make a left turn. So he was turning into the dead engine. Also, I believe the aircraft was out of annual by a year.

[@bradsanders407]

Wtf

[@stucrisp6865]

With 2,500+ hours in PA31 variants and tail (we call it rego) numbers flying around the Australian outback as my main job for a number of years, I can say I ferried a PA31-350 with gear down for 200 miles because of a broken microswitch which made the gear retraction impossible. The best I got in an otherwise perfectly serviceable airframe was 120 KIAS approx. and seriously reduced climb performance. Luckily it was under VFR conditions, and I could stay low and slow. Once I finally landed back at home base (YBAF), I made a mental note not to do *that* again. During the exemplar video take-off roll, there was a definite audible beat/split in power between the two sides. I would have rejected that take-off - the pilot would have had a very asymmetric rudder input to stay even on the runway.

[@RowanHawkins]

You could see it once he became airborne. The plane precessed to the right rather severely until it cleared the horizon. I wonder what the wind conditions were.

[@johnmorrison8942]

Thanks!

[@straybullitt]

The takeoff run looked more like a high-speed taxi. I agree. The owner undoubtedly knew better. This is why he tried to hire somebody else to ferry the plane. 🤷‍♂️ That fuel leak would have scared the hell out of me....

[@mykalhenry]

One of those instances where "if I don't reach X speed by the camera man... we will abort takeoff..."

[@m118lr]

..like a run-up OF DESPERATION.

[@MeppyMan]

He could have put it down in the field before the trees. What a bizarre series of decisions by this apparently experienced (but old) pilot.

[@gasdive]

​@@MeppyManI thought the same. Perfectly good field to set it back down on. The last of many opportunities to back out.

[@kevinsellsit5584]

@@MeppyMan I agree, crashing in that field and making the insurance claim yourself would be much better than the final result just 1/2 mile later.

[@jeffsiegel4879]

Thank you. Since the Kobe Bryant incident, I have non-aviation friends that have subscribed after watching that series of vids. I appreciate your breakdowns and look forward to seeing more STOL stuff.

[@johndesaavedra1040]

My dad's best friend was an old pilot. He flew commercially to age 75. His longest ride was in a Navajo like this. He was the mechanic as well as the pilot. Paul would have it no other way. He parted ways with the company when the owner's son insisted on flying. After the son committed a gear-up landing, he stayed on long enough to rebuild the Navajo, then went to another company where he completed his commercial pilot career.

[@SteamCrane]

I know so many bad cases involving "the owner's son".

[@artifundio1]

​@@SteamCraneme too, and they have nothing to do with aircrafts or pilots... Entitlement is dangerous, especially at work places involving big machinery.

[@timduggan1461]

When I was working for a certain major airline here in the US I was a Captain sitting reserve. I was called and assigned to "ferry" a DC-9 with a flap problem of some sort. I was NOT part of Flight Ops Management and they certainly DID NOT have a valid ferry permit issued. I refused and immediately informed my union of this violation.

[@andrewagner2035]

Greetings from Cape Town. I have done several one off ferry flights like this, but power from the engines, is a non negotiable!

[@davidmerwin7763]

Boy, that is just sad. Thanks for your excellent explanation Juan.

[@giancarlogarlaschi4388]

I'm retired after a long career in Aviation ... I feel very Sad for this Man ... And took note so it Won't happen to me. 68 now and 27k hours . " You are as Good a Pilot as your last landing "

[@richb313]

Thanks for your reporting on this.

[@Gratefulwon]

I used to fly a pnav decades three decades ago. Someone penciled in for the engine out checklist “ Pick something soft and cheap”.

[@Wayne_Robinson]

My hypothesis is that whenever one is tempted to ask, "what were they thinking", the answer is that they may not have been thinking nearly enough.

[@hb1338]

Rephrase the question thus "What - were they thinking ?"

[@gene2024]

Juan ... great review. I live in Kearney (pronounced like Carne ... asada) and this made the front page of the paper. Yes, what was the last pilot thinking??? One more minor correction ... Mosby (with a long O sound).

[@big_beak]

Yes, having grown up in the Kansas City area, Missouri is infamous for unintuituve pronunciations of several city names, to trip up the uninitiated... Versailles (verSALES) Nevada (nehVAYduh) Cape Girardeau (jirAREdough) :)

[@gene2024]

@@big_beak And, don't forget Auxvasse (Ah-Vahz),

[@markiangooley]

@@big_beakit’s Midwestern or maybe American. Illinois has a small Teheran, tuh-HAIR-un.

[@johnschreiber1574]

I don't ask for a ferry permit until i know an aircraft has normal gross weight takeoff performance. A max power taxi to rotation speed followed by a coast down at idle, is really useful. This one definitely didn't have the requisite performance. The immediate goal after taking off, is to climb to at least 3000 feet before proceeding on course. SAD story.

[@challenger2aircraftadventures]

One poor decision, followed by another, and another, until they crash the airplane. If they are lucky, they walk away. That scenario is being played out weekly it seems. Unfortunately he wasn't lucky that day, and didn't walk away. So very sad. My deepest condolences for the family and friends who now grieve their loss.

[@_Ben4810]

Looking at the Lake Oroville water level Juan...862ft & rising.....Gonna be full in August it seems...Is this a first...?

[@craig7350]

We have a very similar Navajo at our field. These engines weren't even close to full power, I can't understand how he would continue. He should have hired those experienced Navajo pilots to at least do some high speed taxi tests or something.

[@NicolaW72]

Thank you for picking this sad story up! My condolences to the Family and Friends.

[@Robertmacmedia]

Thank you for sharing this information Juan

[@B1900pilot]

This accident is particularly troubling...I can't imagine an FAA FSDO giving that airplane a ferry permit...I've ferried some real junkers, but not until they had at least rudimentary maintenance to bring them up to an airworthy condition. Ferried a 1965 Cherokee 180 that had sat for over 10-years! Which led to more ferry flights of more aerial junks...Later flying cancelled checks for a 135 operator, the airplanes weren't a whole lot better!

[@av8tor261]

That was said to watch. A good case study for human factors. It would be interesting to know if the aircraft was "properly" conditioned and maintained for long term storage. I some how doubt it. There were so many warning signs.

[@windwatcher11]

You mean, like, gas pouring out as soon as it went in?

[@jonberryhill6531]

Check out the video at the 5:36 point. I don't see flaps extended. Can the airplane do a no flap takeoff?

[@gregoryschmidt1233]

So many opportunities to reject that takeoff and live. Even after he ran out of runway, he could have still ditched it in the field. Did he think the engines would suddenly magically heal themselves and start producing?

[@brentsmith3745]

The person filming this didn’t seem to think it was going to go well. Guessing that’s why they were filming? Did they know him and the situation with the plane or just coincidence that they were filming? Many questions

[@krautyvonlederhosen]

Good point.

[@Phiyedough]

I would be very interested to know if the CAA in UK would have granted such a permit. I know that many states in USA are very lax on the inspection of road vehicles, perhaps it's the same for aircraft?

[@tabcreedence6553]

Saying "no thank you" like the ferry pilots did is often wise. I worked with multiple pilots years ago and one of them was masterful at reading the weather. He flew a corporate plane(s) and would sometimes tell his boss "no" when a trip was requested because he knew they would run into a dangerous weather system. They added on a third pilot and the newest one said "yes" regardless of weather. On one of his first flights he took their brand new twin engine beech through a hailstorm and sandblasted the paint off the nose of the aircraft

[@205rider8]

Was he fired after the sand blasting?

[@tabcreedence6553]

@@205rider8 He just got a lecture from what I heard.. lol

[@RockandRollWoman]

Lucky it was just a paint problem!

[@cherlgolja5402]

I’m so glad that I’m a mechanic and a pilot ! 👩🏻‍✈️🇺🇸

[@cpd2725]

So was Doug, the owner wasnt on board.

[@noapologizes2018]

All too often people take chances they should not take. Complex aircraft are not to be taken lightly. Too much to go wrong. The allure of these forgotten planes seems to be the relative cheap up front cost to purchase. However, underneath that exterior there is so much breakage to fix. "A Fool begins by saying foolish things." Ecclesiastes 10:13-20 R.I.P. to the pilot.

[@eshelly4205]

As he went by it looked as if he was gonna drive it to its location.

[@kenclark9888]

The inboard tanks are the main tanks

[@Blinkman24]

I Hated doing Hit checks (health indicator tests) on both engines every flight when I was a crewcheif on uh60s'...But that's how I'm still alive with 1000+ hours and one PL

[@howardnielsen6220]

Juan again Thank You

[@sey1yes2]

the real question is "what was he feeling--emotionally--" rather than "what was he thinking". what emotional state led him to discount major components of reality??? what is obvious, is that this pilot did not perform and "IMSAFE" checklist.

[@AvStevieStevenJamesDrums]

That is frightening

[@jimpalmer1969]

Juan, great context. My key takeaways from your presentation are 1. Excessive fuel lead. You have to be kidding me on this one. 2. Acceleration check. This should be done progressively with three rejected takeoff, 40, 65 and V1 Kts. 3. Gear down, is it really that hard to get a set of jacks and swing the gear? If there is a gear problem it will need to be corrected before doing an annual.. 5. So I don't know the engine out procedure for a PA-31 but I will assume it says in the event of an engine failure to clean the airplane up, apply rudder into the good engine, roll 5 deg into the good engine and attempt to establish a shallow climb. Not having one of those would take you directly to the scene of the accident. It makes me wonder if this guy had briefed what to do if he could not get flying. God bless his soul, but people like this just make it more difficult for those who can legibly manage an aircraft through a safe ferry permit.

[@kiwidiesel]

yes correct regarding the procedure, as is the case with most light twins, The PA-31 is far from a star performer on one engine and only advisable to even lower the gear when you are confident of making the runway, since maintaining airspeed with gear and flap down is a fairy tale in this plane. on departure with one or both engines playing who can make the least power games would make for a but clenching ride.

[@pilotandy1333]

That is tragic in so many ways, condolences to the family.

[@TheGospelQuartetParadise]

this type of outcome is often the result of someone having more confidence in his flying abilities than he does of the characteristics of the aircraft he is flying. An aircraft sitting in the elements from 2015 - 2023 with rubber fuel bladders shouldn't have gone anywhere near the skies with fuel leakage on top of that. Rest in peace, but he should still be here. As you said, Juan, he had PLENTY OF TIME to reject that takeoff.

[@nancychace8619]

We tend to see things through our own filters. Sometimes the lens can be pretty thick. Condolences to family and friends. RIP.

[@joevignolor4u949]

Kinda sounds like the guy with the submarine that imploded doesn't it?

[@nancychace8619]

​@@joevignolor4u949Yes, a little bit. He seemed to have a lot more ego involved. Money (or lack of it) also a factor. Sometimes people take unfortunate chances b/c of their financial status, but that's not an excuse for poor decisions.

[@Lumpschlevot]

Its weird that both engines were not making power. All the more reason to reject. Fuel pumps off? Props in the wrong position? Or just same problem with both engines? Fuel contamination?

[@christopherrobinson7541]

What is the correct flap setting for take-off? It appears that none were deployed.

[@josephoberlander]

@@christopherrobinson7541 It's entirely likely that that was also not working. From the description, it was basically a "barn find" with multiple issues.

[@davidmann4533]

I worked at mattituck aviation. One time a guy came in a big twin Cessna . We gave him a price for engine overhaul . We red tagged his rat engine , it was making so much metal. He didn’t like our price. He got a cheaper price in Texas , he took off on 2200 ft run way on both engines. Then flew to Texas on one engine😂

[@bizjetfixr8352]

"Texas" Every shady, half assed, semi criminal deal in business aviation I've ever been involved with, has come out of Texas. Not all......but given relatively equal pricing, and a choice between an unknown Texas shop, and one north of the Mason-Dixon, I'm going with them Yankees every time. Like the repaint on a C-750 the pilot was getting quotes on. "Legit" shops (Duncan, West Star) were quoting around $100k. A shop in the DFW area quoted $25k. I was asked to review the bid. For starters, anyone with half a brain knew they were cutting corners somewhere. I made a laundry list of questions that I had. Might as well have talked it over with the gerbils at the pet store. You can probably guess whose bid they took. Needless to say, it didn't turn out well. The problems started a couple of weeks before the completion date, when all the employee (bi-weekly) paychecks bounced.

[@PaulinaBridges]

Excellent report Juan. My condolences to the family.. another excellent analysis....you continue bring us truth and not speculation.....keep it going.....

[@bw162]

Ferry permits do not make you exempt to basic flight requirements like power and airspeed.

[@stevesee800]

yep, the laws of physics can't be pencil whipped

[@krautyvonlederhosen]

I’m usually reluctant to find any capriciousness whatsoever in a fatal accident but in this case I must make an exception. It appears to be a clear-cut case of suicide by aircraft.

[@07blackdog]

Reminds me of the Lynyrd Skynyrd incident; in that other crews refused to fly that bird.

[@empireoflizards]

I heard that the Aerosmith's crew turned down that aircraft prior. Skynyrd's manager wanted to cut costs for their trip, so sent them on that plane with badly tuned engines...the rest is history.

[@07blackdog]

@@empireoflizards That is true. Tragic.

[@Chris-Nico]

Damn! Sitting in a field with no proper storage procedures is a classic example of neglect of the highest level. Just the bio growth in those fuel cells is a recipe for disaster. Feel bad for the mechanic and whomever FAA rep signed off on the 8130 ferry permit….. as a mechanic myself at an FBO the pressure from owners can be tough.

[@bartofilms]

Looked like a nice plane. Wonder how much time/effort would have been required to fix squawks and get it into annual.

[@sitandfish]

How is the leaking fuel not a Haz-Mat violation that should be reported to ARFF and remedied before granting access to a runway? Are the fueling trucks not obligated to report fuel leaks?

[@sitandfish]

Because I read codes as a part of my job I just read this code section: "1106.11.5 The Fire Department shall be notified if... the fuel flow(leak) is continuous."

[@aidenschvatkok5732]

I never refueled aircraft but I used to haul fuel and ANY spill had to be reported. Over 20L and the government was involved

[@sirmonkey1985]

if it's a towerless airport all the fueler can do is tell them it's leaking, document and notify the airport. other than that there isn't much they can do to stop him.

[@Bottleworksnet]

What ARFF?? Most airports don't have them.

[@sitandfish]

@@Bottleworksnet It was just my shorthand for fire department. My wish going forward is that they don't issue ferry tickets to leaking aircraft. Guess not.

[@EleanorPeterson]

What's that saying about old pilots and bold pilots?

[@StonyAcresEstate]

FYI proper Missouri pronunciation of Kearney, MO is "Car-knee". Mosby is "Moe's-bee". Just a little local knowledge for ya.

[@obsoleteprofessor2034]

I worked at a Beechcraft dealer in Fresno. Several times an airplane got pushed out of the hanger for lack of a timely payment.

[@bradsanders407]

Is it free to park outside?

[@scottadair4962]

Howard Winters??

[@obsoleteprofessor2034]

@@scottadair4962 Never knew the big bosses. Only big guy shop super named Danny Shamoon(?). I think I got the job by accident because I went Christmas Eve and got a job app from some drunk old guy named Hall. When I showed up with the filled app, Danny looked puzzled. I later found out they weren't hiring but since I got the app from Hall they thought I had connections with him.

[@obsoleteprofessor2034]

@@scottadair4962 1980

[@bullredfish12]

Natural selection

[@okoboji2001]

This pilot showed us all what the definition of just winging it is!

[@Ryanboy2020]

He had to have known half way down that runway the engines were not performing enough for a take off, especially with gear down. Such a waste of life and a what could have been a beautiful airplane with the proper care and maintenance.

[@MalcolmRuthven]

Basic airmanship says to reject that takeoff when it's obvious the plane isn't gaining the required airspeed. Instead, he continued the takeoff roll until the very end of the runway then forced it off.

[@stephenj4937]

Looks like the pilot would have been better off aborting with a runway overrun than what actually happened.

[@bizjetfixr8352]

"SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMITS" are the FAAs way of letting you move an unairworthy airplane to a shop for repair. Basically, they let the owner/pilot become the "certifying authority", and make the a/w call. As an FAA buddy told me once "we'll give an SFP to a grilled cheese sandwich, if some guy says he thinks it's safe to fly" Note that one of the typical requirements of an SFP is a flight plan by as direct a route as possible to the maintenance shop that avoids populated areas. I'd love to see a copy of application for the SFP, and see what was mentioned, and what wasnt.

[@silverwings1843]

Sad...In my Ferry Days I walked away from a few. The ones I did take went thru some personal requirements. High speed taxis, hard mag checks, engine cycling and positive fuel checks. Even when delivering for Cessna I pushed them HARD on the ground. As even New Aircraft will Scare the hell out of you!!! Not to mention Maint Shake Downs!!!

[@billt46]

For a “ferry flight” the operative statement is: “the airplane is in a safe condition” for the ferry flight not that the airplane is in an “airworthy condition” The FAA is very keen on the words/statements used in the logbook.

[@fredgarvin716]

I've known people that have their own ideas about things and no matter what you say, you can not talk them out of bad ideas. Unfortunately, this guys' bad idea killed him.

[@youtbe999]

What would have been the correct course of action for this airplane? Dismantle and truck it to the destination? Make several test departures to check speed capabilities? IDK but it would be interesting to know.

[@YHK_YT]

6:53 I think it’s more of a what weren’t they thinking, considering they didn’t think of anything at all

[@chrisyarbrough785]

I used too watch a mechanic work on a queen air at corona airport.he would take off with one engine backfiring terrible go around the pattern land shut down one engine.get out and make a adjustment and takeoff over and over

[@patrickr2686]

Is there any way to find out what Doug was saying on the radio during all of this?

[@ypaulbrown]

always good coverage Juan, best wishes from Central Florida.....PB

[@Dino-qv6bg]

Got to love natural selection

[@MichaelOfRohan]

The engines had to be removed and gone through regardless. It should have been disassembled on site and trucked to location.

[@nightwaves3203]

Hope he at least cleaned the plugs. No flaps hmmm. Sitting a long time it figures a bad mag or two and it sounded like his prop pitch wasn't functions weren't working. The ferry pilots are happy with their choice.

[@gtr1952]

God Speed to the pilot. I guess we'll never know what he was thinking. I tried to think of 1 reason why he would pull the stick back and lift off.. . Sincere condolences to his family and friends. Please be careful out there.... --gary

[@moto67e]

Juan's disgust at filming in vertical mode made me chuckle.

[@georgegilbert7347]

Well, I agree with him. Put it in "landscape" mode and the picture looks so much better.

[@SteamCrane]

Me too!

[@allanriches9381]

nice looking plane

[@sandymj3w633]

Prayers for his family & loved ones

[@jonathaneno8041]

I would like to know if the FAA is looking at the mechanic who filled out the flight waivers for the ferry flight.....

[@MrShobar]

I think he was the pilot.

[@sophiejaysstuff4026]

The FAA has nothing to do with safety. :(

[@jasoncarswell7458]

Yeah, that guy is hiding at his lawyer's office.

[@terencenxumalo1159]

good work

[@Dutch1954]

I know people right now who are operating aircraft on a shoestring, but since I have 9k hours and they have 15-20k hours, I'm still just a puppy who is yet to come around to their level of experience and understand their logic.

[@TheReadBaron91]

Hey mechanics, sometimes you need to know when to walk (RUN) away. Not the first time I’ve seen ferry pilots either hesitate to fly a shoddy aircraft or refuse to do so.