Engine Failure at 1300ft AGL, Morningstar ZA, Pioneer 300

This was a very real emergency and a fantastic opportunity for me to review my own level of training. I made many mistakes but we landed safely with no injuries or damage to the plane, and that is ultimately the objective in any emergency.
Aviate, Navigate and Communicate (ANC).
I welcome any feedback!
The problem turned out to be that the main jet in the left carburettor was blocked, which is why I lost cylinders 2 & 4.
00:00 Intro
01:15 Happy flying
03:10 Engine Failed
06:00 Landing

[@wolfi_m]

You do not have to apologize for not communtcating well with the tower. The priority in an emergency is 1: aviate 2: navigate and then 3: communicate... Well done!

[@SimartyPantz]

Yep. He was not thinking about direction at that moment and neither would I have.

[@portlyoldman]

Ain’t no tower at Morningstar 😎

[@xjcrossx]

I don't think he was talking about the tower, I think he was talking about the other airplanes in the area. And if you are doing an about-face suddenly and heading back to the airport it is kind of important to report your position to the other aircraft, especially when they are asking. That being said, he understood that and pointed it out.

[@hepphepps8356]

And the black boxes aren’t actually black but orange. Come on with saturating these videos with aviation cliches already!

[@portlyoldman]

@@hepphepps8356 - stop spoiling everyone’s fun 🤣🤣🤣

[@MrLangobard]

''A propeller is actually just a big fan to keep the pilot cool... when it stops you can watch the pilot start sweating. '' Nicely handled Sir!

[@leanbean8376]

😂...one way of looking at it! So was this a dead stick landing🤔...let me finish watching...

[@jason41a]

i'd be sweating like that guy from Airplane! (1980) meme.

[@sonnyburnett8725]

The way she looked at him when he called mayday. God bless her, he did a great job and all the other pilots were so helpful.

[@dangerous8333]

Yeah, and he barely did anything to console her... strange.

[@madison69]

@@dangerous8333 Would you rather a pilot console you because you cant control your emotions, or have him focus on landing the plane and actually not dying? lmao

[@chuckfan1]

@@dangerous8333 strange that he shouldnt focus on landing the plane... safely? Thats probably what was solely on his mind.... dont be a douche

[@piczos883]

@@madison69 exactly, first rule - fly the damn airplane at first

[@jblooz2371]

@@dangerous8333 The actions of both souls on that aircraft were flawless.

[@gdj11]

"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion. You sink to the level of your training" Awesome. Very true.

[@alanfogg5788]

My chief flight instructor says this all the time!

[@bwash6249]

Love that Quote.👊👍

[@davidwheatcroft2797]

I was lucky to be RAF trained. They made sure we knew we were shit hot; our equipment, top notch; our support staff ditto. You HAVE to believe NOTHING is a hard problem......I was the only one from our Squadron to be given a Permanent Commission in GD(P), the highest paid branch of the British armed forces. The only one to paint his bone dome (bright red!), and flew more hours than anybody else...."Red formation, rolling, rolling, GO!" Haring down the runway, your lead the ONLY thing in your life; 2ft away. Super fun. we even taxied in formation doing S turns as we flew taildraggers. In the evening, destroying the Mess, and nothing EVER said!

[@fo4mm209]

US navy seals quote

[@richdavis9789]

My first time hear that quote, instantly wrote it down, thanks!!!

[@MarkJones-mm3br]

I really felt for your sister when I heard the moans escaping from her. She must have been terrified but was holding back her fear due to not wanting to interfere with your ability to fly the plane. And you staying calm and telling her everything was OK was so important to fly the plane and reassure your sister. Both of you were very brave.

[@sweetkitty2798]

Ya. Nothing worse than screaming women to make it that much worse.

[@emmanuel9546]

She did act like a pro 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@idonthaveaname42]

@@sweetkitty2798 lol

[@ivanboesky1520]

Sweet Kitty would have shat its pants.

[@cduemig1]

She did awesome. Being a passenger in many ways has to be worse in an emergency. She did exactly what she was told to do and didn’t freak out.

[@boronat1]

6:15 , the joy on his face when he realized he was going to complete the task is priceless

[@MrGaryweirich]

Before I received my private pilot license, I was coming back from a practice area, about 2-3 miles from the runway, on a straight-in final approach. That is when an oil line broke and oil was all over the windshield. I looked at the oil pressure and it went to zero. I knew I couldn't keep the engine running so I shut it down and started calling Mayday on the tower radiofrequency. I kept it at the best operational speed and set it down right at the end of the runway and coasted to a stop. Several people had come out to the runway and helped me push the Cessna 150 back to the tie-down space. This was at North Perry Airport in Hollywood, Florida. It is amazing how quiet the aircraft becomes when the engine is no longer running. I got my private shortly after that. That was in the early 70s.

[@johnmckenna8989]

...I can relate to this.....everything was so 'casual' back then....so 'regimented' now.....I used my own airplane to learn on so I was very familiar with it when I had my engine failure...I became even more familiar with it when I learned how the fuel system worked...haha.....

[@DaveGringo]

North Perry airport seems to have a black cloud around it!

[@jd2161]

I live near you or Hollywood atleast. Still have your license? Were you scared? Sounds like you handled it great for a newbie

[@johnmckenna8989]

@@jd2161 I have a lot of Irish in me and when the engine quit I clearly recall saying, "You son of a bitch!"...I radioed the tower with my "Mayday" and what I was about to do....They radioed back but all I recall saying was, "NOT NOW !" ...I was so focused on clearing a billboard and the wires there really was no space for fear in my brain....When I rolled to a stop, a van drove up to me and the guy (an air radio operator on his way to work) told me he saw the whole thing and didn't think I had a hope in hell of clearing the powerlines.....His conversation distracted me and calmed me down.....It never sank in until later that evening just what a close shave I'd had, mostly due to all the activity that took place getting through the parking lot and around to the proper side of the tower....Needless to say, there were a lot of airport workers around helping me 'cause they'd never seen anything like what happened before.....This happened in the 1970's and, as you can tell, the details are pretty firmly etched in my memory...I had been photographing lakes and fall colours to the north just prior to this event, the pictures are in an album.....I flew out of the Sault Ste. Marie federal airport until 1979 then moved to the west coast of Canada, where I am to-day....I haven't flown since 1985 when a hot shot air force pilot crashed my 'plane ..

[@MrGaryweirich]

@@jd2161 I no longer live in South Florida. I haven't flown for several years now. I don't remember being scared. I was too busy concentrating on making the runway and keeping the stall warning horn quiet. The main thing I remember was the deafening quiet. That and the joy of touching down.

[@daveoatway6126]

I was on a solo cross county flight in Kansas from Fort Riley KS be for I got my ticket. I lost engine of my 152 at 7,000 feet in the middle of cropland 150 miles from base. Fortunately I saw a crop duster strip to the side.. I glided to the strip and never was happier to feel the wheels tough down! The strip was very narrow - my wings were over corn stalks!. The pilot and ground crew from the commercial operation were gracias and towed me to their apron. Their mechanic found the issue (clogged fuel filter) and was able to get me back in the air. The airplane was a flying club plane. I am thankful that I was able to get it back to the fort in one piece! I am also glad that my instructor always emphasized situational awareness! As a soldier I was second nature on the ground, More valuable in the air!

[@UTAH100]

Real pilots post their mistakes. Good job and nice flying all the way down.

[@theflyabetic923]

As a new pilot I learned a ton from this video. Thank you for posting - it allows all of us pilots the chance to learn more. Excellent execution and calm under pressure. You should be so proud. You're a fantastic aviator. Glad you are safe!!

[@justplaneadventures8030]

Thank you, I can only praise good training and an attitude of always learning (and a good measure of luck).

[@justplaneadventures8030]

btw, that is the very reason for this video. So that other pilots can learn from the good and the bad.

[@GoldVP...]

Just be smoother on the stick. This guy was having a Parkinsons moment, while taking off...substance? Or mental?

[@Norentis]

No need to apologize, you stayed SOOOOO calm mate. That shows great skills. You landed safe and kept your passenger safe. Respect mate.

[@ThePippin89]

Aviate, navigate, communicate. In that order. You did everything you should have done! Well done.

[@privatepilot4064]

She’s got a brother to be proud of! Handled it very well! Kudos!

[@THEKITPLUG]

He even managed to keep the passenger calm. Amazing job all the way around.

[@fm-9129]

She ride or die 😂

[@auralplex]

I'm sure she was very calm.

[@MFE92]

@@auralplex She was understandably terrified, but stayed cool. Well done all around. The pilot is doing what he needs to do to maintain airspeed and maneuver to the field, which probably didn't feel so calming from the passenger seat.

[@gweminence1]

So...Mayday call, emergency situation, task saturation, Aviate, Navigate, Communicate, and you were still calm enough to reassure your scared sister that everything was going to be okay. Man, I don't know how you ever get off the ground with balls that big. Salute.

[@racketyjack7621]

I gotta tell ya, you may have missed a few minor details, but you got both of you on the ground safely. Your preflight with your sister helped her too Im sure. And while you were trying to fly the plane, you still remembered to encourage her too. I'd say damn fine job my friend.

[@TGabrielTPOI]

That level of calmness comes with knowledge and confidence. Perfectly executed.

[@unclelar53]

Well done! I lost an engine in my Cessna 172 a few years ago, was able to land, dead stick, on a dirt road. Threw a piston rod, and broke a cylinder loose; oil on the windscreen. Not my best landing. Largest adrenalin dump of my life, lol. I had a lot more altitude (4000 agl) to play with than you did. Thanks for posting.

[@distilledmilk2441]

Wow that sounds sketchy, probably a better landing then most😁

[@lonewolfhf]

Random video that appeared in my feed, great study of keeping your head under pressure, wish I had balls that big.

[@billbrisson]

that's why we do passenger briefings BEFORE we fly... she took it like a champ!

[@twistedmr]

you kept calm and your sister seems not overly alarmed great stuff.

[@tpbh46]

Outstanding! Great job getting it back on the ground without damage. Hope your pax will go up again… she looked like she was having a good time prior to failure.

[@justplaneadventures8030]

Thank you, I really hope so two.

[@arturarruda8151]

Pax?

[@Jigsaw407]

@@arturarruda8151 In aviation "Pax" is short for "passenger".

[@animal9432]

Well done. When in extremis, fly the plane and maintain situational awareness for finding somewhere to land. Everything else, including communication is secondary. Remember... Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.

[@marshmellow377]

Perfect example of Aviate Navigate Communicate... Nicely done buddy

[@lucianonisi6987]

Been flying 30 years, I think you did a great job, good pilot decision making, kept your sister as calm as possible. Well done!

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

What airline?

[@Mudcat3434]

Well done man. I can't imagine the amount of pressure you had there. Amplified significantly with your sister there. It is one thing to be flying solo and have your own life in your hand, but with a loved one with you it is exponentially more impactful.

[@hefeibao]

Yeah, that is very true.

[@DPB1947]

Wow, expert, cool piloting in a crisis. And kudos to your sister, who sat still and did not distract your attention from the emergency tasks at hand, despite her obvious and understandable distress. I would imagine it was harder for her than the pilot, because she had absolutely no control over the outcome. Glad it all ended well.

[@marcbonomini2751]

A good landing is when everyone survives, a great landing is when you can use the plane again. Job well done !

[@Halozocker104]

Ive heard that before;" plane on the ground and everyone alive = good landing

[@A.J.1656]

I don't like that saying. So you can have a hard landing 20 feet off the centerline, 1000' beyond the touchdown markers, lock up the brakes and set off the ELT and call it a "good landing"?

[@plsniper]

Awesome job! Feel so bad for your sister. She was so nervous, but thumbs up for her on doing exactly what you told her during preflight. Thank God you guys made it down safely!!

[@Catdore]

I like that, "You sink to the level of your training," especially with no engine.

[@videowatcher4006]

And that my friends is what professional pilots do. I applaud you sir.

[@sasquatchjunk]

Very nice job, I watched another guy doing almost the same thing and his heart rate and breathing sounded like he was going to explode! You were as cool as Sully good on ya mate!

[@Zerbey]

I wouldn't say you made many mistakes, you got the bird down safely and communicated well. Even had time to reassure your sister that everything was fine. Well done, hope you have many more safe flights!

[@laprepper]

Any landing you can walk away from! Plane seemed intact aside from engine. 10/10

[@funkdunk]

Your aircraft had allot of energy to not only get you back on the ground safely but more importantly to permit you to do the turns and keep a safe operating envelope. My instructor always used to say "fly the plane" and you did that brilliantly. 👏

[@daveth121864]

Exactly! You kept posting captions about missing radio calls and I just kept saying, "That's okay. Communicating is third on the list!"

[@pjford1118]

I like that you communicated very well the entire flight. If you had sounded more stressed your sister would have been far more terrified, very well done.

[@patriotpioneer]

Every Decision you made seem to cool & collected, Kudos!

[@carlyleanderson2946]

When my time comes, I hope to be able to do half as good as this pilot did, and everything will be fine. Just amazing.

[@Mike-cs9jr]

Good you were able to keep calm and allow your sister to know everything, under the circumstances, was under control.

[@jacobtheguitarman7584]

Damn mate that was a close one , props to your sis for being an iron lady, she held her emotions back to support you and you kept giving her confidence that everything was okay when entire world felt like slipping away beneath you, A lesson on how to be a real man and a strong woman

[@slayer8actual]

"Fly the plane first." I will never forget those words from my instructor decades ago. You did great! Glad everything worked out well, and no need to worry about the misspeaks; that's a human reaction when dealing with a high level of stress. The important thing is you flew the plane first.

[@humptydumpty3345]

Great job! And awesome briefing your sister on where to put her hands. That’s something I’m going to incorporate with my passengers when the time comes as well.

[@ArkaelDren]

It is still considered an engine failure. But believe me when I say, the trouble of a complete engine failure is much much worse. Credit to the pilot for making it a day that you walk away from.

[@davidcousins3508]

A good job ..you got down safely ..I would add that your passenger did very well ..from experience the last thing you want in a small plane is a panicking passenger ,it makes focusing on safe aviation extremely difficult and there is the constant fear that they will lock up on the controls further endangering the flight .

[@formfaktor]

Respect for your sister too. Kept super calm to let you do your job!

[@spratb5323]

I feel for your sister and that touchdown sigh shows you had control and your words I'm sure helped with the complete helplessness of the passenger.

[@Tianton1]

That was perfect! I flew my last single engine flight in 2015 when I finished my training and I have absolutely no desire to ever get back into one ever again for this exact reason!

[@bleslie5595]

I admire how calm both of you stayed. Well done.

[@shawnholton5182]

Love to your sister doing all she can to help, keeping quiet and hands out of the way.

[@StrumVogel]

That last quote is very good.

[@MyJoyInTheAir]

You handled it very well. I can just imagine the stress level knowing you have your sister on board. Great job on landing safely!

[@jimsandoval7633]

Congratulations, you kept your sister calm and landed the plane safely. Looking back, there are always things we could of improved, even when you practice with an instructor. You did a great job!

[@RaptorJesus.]

handled it perfectly, stayed calm, prioritized focus on landing safely, bravo! much love from the UK, glad everything turned out ok :)

[@banana1618]

Seeing Table Mountain and Signal Hill from a different angle was unexpected but rewarding. Great flying - well done and kudos to your sister for keeping her cool!

[@krimm1450]

Absolutely amazing job for making it back to the airfield safely!

[@michaelsmith9219]

You, sir, are a cool cucumber under pressure. You kept calm and kept reassuring your passenger. Kudos to your passenger for doing exactly what you asked in the pre-flight passenger briefing. Glad it worked out okay! Thank you for sharing.

[@joey_morg]

Congrats, Capt....Great job of staying calm and focusing only on getting back to the airport.. Because of how calm, cool & collected you were, your Wife or g/f or friend stayed calm as she's listening to the sound of your voice while you were talking with ATC. P,.S. Capt....you do realize that you owe your Miss' a drink after this one....Pilots Lounge happy hour here you come....WITH a VERY thirsty date! Lol!

[@regularnimnule9715]

Bloody great job there fella and major kudos to your sister for being the perfect passenger.

[@joel1239871]

Good post-flight self evaluation and airmanship during the crisis. Mistakes can be made. Just don't make them fatal. Well done.

[@peelreg]

You handled it very well. The brain focuses in an emergency. That advice to your sister is a great idea.

[@GeoTactics]

Mad respect on handling a tough situation like that.

[@tscott6843]

Great piloting sir. Your sis was a superb calming presence. She deserves half the credit. You were both cool as water.

[@andrewp3456]

Excellent airmanship. You remained calm, constantly analysed the situation and furthermore reassured your sister who was visibly frightened, as anyone would be. "You can be my wingman anytime!" ;-) Well done Sir!

[@sturvinmurvin9408]

Your sister did a great job!!! I truly hope she sees this as a moment of bravery and how to overcome a sticky situation. She is amazing.

[@haber1259]

BRAVO!!! You are the definition of professional in my opinion. And if your passenger is part of your bloodline then it makes sense how she was so calm too. Kudos to you both. What a cool head you both kept.

[@gorgonbazil2652]

When all else fails--fly the plane! Bravo!!

[@pdbordelon]

Fantastic job - literally started heading back to the field within 3 seconds of the emergency. Well-trained pilot!

[@alfonsoportugal6754]

I live thousands of miles from S.A. and don't know you, but still I am so glad you guys made it safely!! Good flying skills! I would have fainted!

[@ThomasGrillo]

Nicely done! Glad you two made it in, safely, and that the engine damage was not too serious. Thanks for sharing this.

[@anthonymoscon18]

Wish you were the pilot of all my flights man, good work brother.

[@tonyowen7493]

Very calmly done.. my similar but less stressfull experience was in a 3 axis microlight, doing practice circuits and practicing my landings while training, the aircraft suffered carb icing in the cold damp weather and the engine was spluttering and its rpm was quite eratic... certainly focused the mind. The main thing was that we were within easy reach of the airfield in a little aircraft that could glide very well. We had enough height and a running engine, even if it wasnt running well. A no dramas landing, but we left the training for a more suitable day.

[@hospitaladministrator3359]

I applaud you and your passenger. She may have been terrified but she clearly trusted you.

[@tklrrbccar3906]

Great job brother! Calm, focused and concentrating on the task at hand.

[@jacowepener1348]

Fantastic job!!!!! You can be very proud of yourself in the way you kept your cool and did what was neccessary under very stressful circumstances!! Hats of to you!!

[@KitfoxPilot]

I love the final statement on the video, it's so true that we sink to the level of our training...

[@JustinLong1977]

I appreciate you being humble, but you did amazing. Your CFI should be proud.

[@Orzorn]

Great work! I sure hope nothing like this ever happens to me, but if it does I hope I handle it as well as this. Your sister was also great, she stayed as cool as she could, she remembered your pre-flight briefing, and she didn't even speak once the issues started and just let you handle it all the way down. That's more than any pilot could ask for, really. Glad you're both safe!

[@cyclingnerddelux698]

What a pro. Hats off!!! Thanks for posting. There is much to learn here!

[@guitarTennisCarHomeFixFlying]

Way to go and advise nearby traffic! Excellent training!

[@Joe-B1]

Fantastic respect for the cool handling of the situation you were both in. Great job and well done. Glad you are both ok.

[@michaelashcraft8569]

I am not a seasoned Pilot, but, watching your Sister's bravery (no hysterics), and, your ability to concentrate on flying while calming her gave me the impression that all would be well,,,it was, thanks for sharing.

[@steelcom5976]

I couldn't be less interested in this hobby for myself, but it does make great videos.

[@battheman777]

3:22 you can immediately see the fear come over her. Thank goodness she didn't totally panic. Such a difference in demeanor between a passenger and a trained pilot. Kudos for staying calm and landing safely.

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

Well done you. Your poor Sister. She was so excited to go flying then the look on her face when you called Mayday.

[@MissPilote_]

Wow, I am impressed. Especially by your fast reactions, quick problem solving and cold blooded response. Well done, you have my respect.

[@aydinemre3992]

A very well flown emergency! And yes aviate, navigate and then coms, and you prioritized correct the whole way. Great work my friend!

[@MrEpfournier]

Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. Any landing you can use the airplane again is a great landing. Good job. Fly the airplane!

[@JeffreyVanDam]

Well done sir. You handled the situation and your sister remained very calm. Glad you both made it down safely.

[@wokeupandsmellthecoffee214]

Excellent job in getting down safely and in one piece, your sister was pretty cool taking it all in too. subbed you and regards from the UK

[@philbrick5]

Very calm and reassuring to his passenger. Great pilot.

[@yeeeehaaawbuddy]

What a beautiful display of love for each other. You both did everything that you could at the time to maximize each other's comfort. Not a lot of that going on these days, at least in America. Fukn BEAUTIFUL. Thanks for posting.

[@paulschannel3046]

Great job of keeping things under control. Easy to tell Sis was distressed although she did great too! Task saturation is a for real thing. Never lost engine before but lost my alternator in good VFR wx and for a few seconds, my mind just went blank! I was disappointed in myself.

[@justplaneadventures8030]

Thank you, she was in fact much more distressed than what you can see in the video which is why I used the back camera more otherwise she would not allow me to post the video. 🙂

[@byronhenry6518]

Great airmanship on your part. Sorry to see your sister so scared, hope she will fly again. You did the best you could with what you had, and made it safely to the runway. Outstanding job.

[@auralplex]

They would have been dead if they weren't right by an airport.

[@derekjones977]

Keep the negative shit to yourself guy that's completelyuncalled for. He could've set the plane down someplace if he had an open field dirt road or even water if nowhere else.

[@dashford06]

Good job. Loved the saying at the end about not rising to the occasion but sinking to the level of your training. I'll be stealing that one!

[@boatingsibbingandwandering3262]

Amazing what you did and how well you kept cool and also your Lady companion also kept so completely calm. This is what gets you back safe and sound. Well done and safe flying

[@XB10001]

Don't be too hard on your radio mistakes. You saved the situation well. You passenger was quite worried.

[@faelek]

this motto at the end. man. so true. i could feel all the emotions with you when you guys touched ground. and your sister withholding all the emotions so you can do your job. kudos. glad you're safe! i've been thinking about getting ppla for some time now, but all those situations are a bit off-putting - now, seeing vids like that it just ensures that it all resolves to one thing - training. great job again!

[@Algrimor]

You handled that perfectly. I hope that I could perform that well in the same scenario. Thank you for sharing this, I really appreciate it

[@petesmith9472]

I’ve had a couple of emergencies in flying and diving; when all settles it’s great to reflect on how training overcomes blind panic.

[@gonzalofigueroa737]

Well done, congratulations!