Final Report - Numerous Pilot Inadequacies for the Fatal Flight of N79NX- Unbelievable Cockpit Chaos

[@Williamb612]

People, this is one of the best channels out there…smart, breaks it down for the layman, incredibly well produced, from visuals, animations and compelling sound/music…this man gets it…please help him build a following…7.7k subscribers makes no sense to me, he should have 700k subscribers. I am a pilot, and I have two sons who are in various stages of becoming fully rated, and whenever he posts we watch…and more importantly LEARN from the mistakes made, and also the excellent comments which share important perspective. I am NOT a spokesperson for this channel, I am a real fan and appreciator. Let’s boost his viewership, this work belongs out there

[@tinabaker09]

I totally agree!! One in a million!! Thank you for taking the time to share the value of these videos! The Flight Level is a true and passionate Aviator! ❤

[@MrSuzuki1187]

I fly the Pilatus professionally even though my boss owns the airplane and is a pilot himself. But he is smart enough to know that this airplane is way too complex for him to fly so, unlike this idiot, he hired me, a retired airline pilot, to fly him and his family around. And he demands that I always have a second professional pilot in the right seat. Some pilots were born to kill themselves in a plane crash and this guy fits that description perfectly.

[@jdsaldivar5606]

82ND AIRBORNE Pilots...just too Cocky sometimes.

[@foxlake6750]

Do you normally load the way points before you leave ? If he had flown that area before, shouldn’t he have known about potentially restricted airspace ? Should he have turned the autopilot on and advised the tower about nav. Issues ? Your thoughts?

[@TheFlightLevel]

@@foxlake6750 Thanks for watching. Yes, the waypoints/flight plan should have entered before leaving the ground. The autopilot can be turned on in the climb out phase of the flight. The pilots were unable to program the flight management system in a timely fashion after take off.

[@jackharle1251]

You're super-special

[@M_MTsc]

@@foxlake6750I always do. Especially short flights even if familiar.

[@MrCrystalcranium]

Constantly falling further and further behind the airplane. At some point as a pilot you need to admit you’re falling into trouble, level out and fly straight. Tell ATC what’s going on and get help. Declare if you need to but for God’s sake don’t dig yourself in any deeper. You could see this coming from miles away.

[@laurenurban3942]

Maintaining the ego and inability to admit when they are in over their head is what gets people killed. I feel bad for the children who were on that plane. They must have been terrified.

[@lindaschad9734]

@@laurenurban3942 The lawsuits were filed against that moron and Pilatus (how is it their fault?), but I don't think that the NTSB should have counted the poor student pilot son as a "second pilot". He couldn't fly the airplane; much less be responsible for programming the flight director.

[@Bren39]

Case of more money than ability. Not the first time and won't be the last time.

[@steveperreira5850]

Was it a doctor or a lawyer, odds of anything else, pretty slim

[@igclapp]

It wasn't his plane. He was a professional pilot hired to fly it. Most likely he was affected by recent illnesses and medication and was not in the proper frame of mind.

[@Bren39]

@@igclapp I doubt that.. The flying was so piss poor.

[@captainlegs1]

Been instructing and charter flying for several thousand folks the past 50 years (still active). Seen this happen many times - so sad. More money than sense and an inability to own up to their own shortcomings. Combine that with a hyper ego and you have the perfect recipe for disaster!

[@tylerbrown4483]

More dollars than sense

[@kevinbresnahan3394]

The roadways are full of these people now also. Sickening.

[@Mike-bh7sh]

and add marijuana to it....

[@JerseyLynne]

I have watched many aviation channels for over ten years. I'm telling you that so you know I am able to tell you with confidence, these videos are good! I'm going to binge watch tonight.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Good stuff! Thanks for your words! Hope you enjoyed the binge session!

[@TheCreditDisputeCenter]

Thanks for all of the videos with this crash. I'm local to this area living less than 5 miles from Cherry Point. Thanks for taking your time on this incident.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thanks for watching the videos! Much appreciated! A very tragic flight to raise awareness for remembering the basics of flight - aviate - navigate - communicate in that order.

[@Sreybk]

@@TheFlightLevel I live near Cherry Point and did my own report the day the final came out on my other channel. It was written for publication, but since our publication isn't in Carteret County, they decided not to use it. I didn't use a lot of flight data analysis, though.

[@TheFlightLevel]

@@Sreybk Good to hear! Keep it on file! May come in handy towards a future publication!

[@alexkimlon5851]

Airplanes are not toys. Just because you can afford to own one, does not give you the right to stupidly endanger yourself and those operating in this same blue sky. If you like airplanes as your toys, spend the money and hire a professional pilot to fly with you around all the time. You will be surprised of the discovery, and what it takes to stay alive in this business!

[@Crash9908]

Too much reliance on automation these days Aviate. Then worry about programming. Fly the airplane and fess up you need vectors to a hold and set things up. Seeing similar accidents in 2023.

[@areza15143]

Exactly. no shame to confess you’re stuck. Take a deep breath, level the wings, level your pitch, choose a heading, maintain altitude, then ask for help. Better than ending up in the ocean.

[@DEAJP10]

Temperament factors in too, right. This pilot was so rattled and exasperated it’s no wonder the flight ended in disaster. Staying calm is so important. It wasn’t even a true emergency situation he just let his frustration take over. (Frustration that stemmed from lack of experience, planning and knowledge.)

[@sebrofc]

Agree, all the computers I the world can't replace stick and rudder flying experience.

[@Mikinct]

Seems like the recent girl/woman flygrl who crashes her Bonanza with non pilot dad as copilot. She was way behind the plane & didnt knoe hiw ti properly use her autopilot etc

[@jimallen8186]

She had an atrocious system, one of the worst designs ever. There is such a thing as failed design or design induced failure.

[@seaknightvirchow8131]

It is so tragic that some parents trusted this man. I have never allowed my family to fly General aviation unless the pilots were highly skilled.

[@TheFlyingZulu]

Flying IFR now days is so easy with GPS units... It's easier than flying VFR. Why in the heck doesn't a pilot just file IFR...

[@davidd6635]

I believe the 'pilot' was allowing the youngsters to sit in the pilot seat and friends taking pics to share/impress friends at home and social media, etc. Helps explain the missed controller calls, restricted area, etc. Recall pilots son was initially sitting copilot who was a beginning student pilot. A Lot of power and speed and complexity for such a newbe that pilot dad might have been expecting him to be up to the challenge. Have an idea the dad yelling navigate was to son to program unfamiliar complex avionics, And fly the airplane, whilst 4 youngsters were enjoying sitting in the pilot seat and photo ops. Too many bodies coming and going from flight deck. RIP to all.

[@johnstudd4245]

Instead of navigate..navigate..navigate, it should have been aviate..aviate..aviate.

[@AncoraImparoPiper]

Goodness! How did this dude get a pilots license??

[@TheFlightLevel]

Yes truly unbelievable. Even more so with the pilot having ~ 3000 hours of flight time! But very limited training in the PC-12 played an integral part.

[@nchokie80]

Very sad to hear this report. I did not know them but this accident really impacted the local community down here. They were returning from a youth day duck hunt. Sad.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Very sorry for the community. It is tough to appreciate the exact circumstances in view of the flight outcome. All the best in the future.

[@simont1108]

Very well put together, watched all videos and it was a tad painful knowing the loss of life Found myself counting 1 thousand, 2 thousand, 3 thousand as the seconds were ticking by and eff all was being done to fly the 'plane.

[@57Jimmy]

WOW! For a piddly ass 61 miles! Just boggles the mind😢

[@farmgene]

An hour’s drive in a car!

[@johnharris7618]

@@farmgene Actually it's about a three-hour drive.

[@tinabaker09]

Thank you for creating this informative video.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Great to have you along for the final chapter of this popular video! Blue skies!

[@hotsoup1001]

Don't let your pride, or fear of an FAA investigation afterwards, keep you from admitting to ATC that you're in over your head and need help. Embarrassment beats this alternative.

[@Williamb612]

Thanks!

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thank you for your terrific words of encouragement. A definite inspiration in so many ways! Blue skies to you and your family!

[@northeden8661]

A 200 foot climb was too much to handle ? How did that guy even get a license ?

[@savagecub]

I put a great deal of the blame on the instructors and examiners that signed him off.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thanks for visiting and commenting. One of the public docket items in the report shows 6 hours of training at SimCom for the Pilatus PC-NG. I wonder if this is all his training for the PC-12?

[@lbowsk]

Six hours means nothing if you can't fly a lick during hour one. Lipstick on a pig comes to mind.@@TheFlightLevel

[@laurenurban3942]

You know, money talks.

[@Mikinct]

H forgot to AVIATE FIRST, then Navigate & lastly Communicate. He failed option 1 Now the only thing left for a family members and lawyers to do is litigate

[@extraace]

I wish the training centers would uphold their "passing standards" on the initials and recurrents a little more. Some of the owner pilots (and pro pilots) that end up sliding through is bewildering.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thanks for visiting! One of the public docket items in the report shows 6 hours of training at SimCom for the Pilatus PC-NG. Although the pilot had over 3000 total flight time hours, and to your point, I wonder if only 6 hours of instruction for the PC-12?

[@extraace]

@@TheFlightLevelYes, sounds about right. I used to provide in plane training for people in the pc12 (and citations) after they came out of simcom and others. Some were great while others should have had a serious talk before leaving the sim. IMO the training centers are little too focused on pleasing the customers instead of giving them a realistic picture of their flying abilities.

[@TheFlightLevel]

@@extraace Thanks for the info. Well, 6 hours was clearly not enough, if the pilot did only receive 6 hours in total for this turboprop!

[@SurviveTheDay]

Money is the answer to all your questions.

[@captainlegs1]

Was an instructor/examiner for 6 years at SimuFlite at DFW. Not too many questionable pilots slipped thru the cracks. Standards and expectations were high. (But that was 1989 thru 1996).

[@mikecournoyer]

This guy should have not been allowed in a 172 never mind a PC-12. You want to go up like that knowing that you don’t know what you are doing fine. But to take others when they trust you. That’s BS.

[@geob0324]

So.. It IS possible to have too much money, after all.

[@THELIFEOFPRICE]

would be helpful if you included the cockpit voice transmissions , but definitely a sad situation

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Much appreciated. A transcript of the complete CVR can be viewed in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4C4fYCggtSop9E

[@Sreybk]

@@TheFlightLevel It's about the worst CVR transcript I have ever read.

[@TheFlightLevel]

@@Sreybk Thanks for watching. Yes, some parts are just so hard to believe!

[@jasonmcmillan6598]

Tragic. With the ease of flight planning there is no reason a person should not create a proper navigation profile. The software allow a pilot to file an IFR flight plan and load it to the plane. Additionally, it seems this pilot spent a lot of time flying in this area. Local pilots should be very familiar with the restricted airspace and how to navigate the area whether it is active or inactive at the time. Also, most advanced aircraft have a single button that you push it and it tells the auto pilot to take over and maintain straight and level flight. Hit the button take a couple deep breaths, and ask ATC for help

[@TheFlightLevel]

Excellent comments! Thanks for your insight!

[@CapitalismSuxx]

I see your NX and raise you Pinnacle Flight 3701 and N452DA at Teterboro. Both commersial pilots in both seats.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thanks for watching! I will be certain to check out the details of Flight 3701!

[@Mark-pp7jy]

Eight fatalities, versus two. Not even close.

[@CapitalismSuxx]

@@Mark-pp7jy Herp derp.

[@Pgd10020]

Yea that was ridiculous

[@vick.1349]

Look at the meds he was taking. Although he most likely not on any of the ones listed at the time still long term use,especially the Oxy, can fuzz you out.

[@belindaweinbrecht8348]

It seems that he was "confused" the moment he got in the plane. Health issue?

[@mzaite]

Thinks he bought a flying car-itis perhaps? “It’s just a quick flight, no need to prepare.”

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thanks for commenting. The pilot did have health issues. We will never know how the pilot felt the day of the flight and if it weighed into the outcome. The NTSB did not consider his health to be a factor in the crash. Here is the NTSB Medical and Pathological Information in the final report: The commercial pilot held a held a second-class medical certificate with a special issuance for mantle cell lymphoma (in remission). At his most recent FAA medical certification examination on June 28, 2021, he reported taking acyclovir daily and infusions of rituximab every 8 weeks for the lymphoma and reported no side effects from these medications. No autopsy report or toxicology testing results were available. Review of the pilot’s medical records showed that the pilot was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in November 2019 and received a stem cell transplant in April 2020. His most recent visit to the oncologist for follow-up and rituximab infusion was on December 10, 2021, and he was reported to overall be doing well. The pilot had an acute injury to his back in August 2021 and over the next three months received three steroid injections for a bulging disc. In August 2021, he reported to his oncologist that he had taken oxycodone for the pain. In addition to the steroid injections, his primary care doctor had prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for his ongoing back pain. The pilot tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2022 and reported receiving a monoclonal antibody infusion and a five-day course of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin in early February 2022.

[@collenfisher3635]

As you said, more money than brains.... Respect to all pilots, but my dad, veteran F86 Sabre pilot in Korea..... rather fly with a drunk military pilot than a sobre civvy pilot. A bit harsh, I agree, but advice I follow everytime I'm presented with a civvy flip.

[@rtbrtb_dutchy4183]

Sorry, but that’s a ridiculous statement. I’ve flown with military and civilian pilots and both groups have good, average and crappy pilots. Military pilots are trained well to fly military missions. This doesn’t mean that makes them good pilots for civilian flights.

[@lbowsk]

What BS. I have flown with thousands of pilots in a lot of different planes. MIL training is not a guarantee of superior ability.

[@happysawfish]

Did you ever tell us how much Time in Type the PIC had? Or time in that particular airplane. Thanks

[@TheFlightLevel]

Hi. The pilot had 3000 hours total all aircraft. He had ratings for single engine, multi engine and instrument.

[@kenclark9888]

This is all great but where are those recordings ? I’d like to hear it

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thanks for watching. Transcript from the CVR is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4C4fYCggtSop9E

[@Mikinct]

I realize its a Turboprop engine. And not saying he was overweight but just because one has 8-10 seats in a plan le doesnt mean they should be filled. Could in theory placing the heavier adults to occupy back seats influence aft CG? Invreasing stall speed or angle of attack?

[@lbowsk]

Weight and Balance had zero to do with this accident. Why introduce it? This "pilot" needed more DUAL in a 172 and should not have been handed the keys to this plane.

[@Mikinct]

@@lbowsk Just assumptions we all can add here. So, how many hours did this pilot have in this exact model & type? 1 month, 6 months, 24 months? We are told he did have his single, dual, instrument & CFI with over 3,000 hours total. Do you have 3,000 hours & a non professional GA pilot? We agree he wasn't a newbie pilot with less than 100hours under his belt. Now if his son was left in charge of flying to gain experience with only 20hours I can see him causing this. Or if one hasn't been practicing hand flying often especially in this type plane things happen fast & a pilot turning off autopilot in weather things get bad fast agreed.

[@Mikinct]

@@lbowsk WTF? It's been reported that this pilot did not even do a proper weight & balance. In planes weight & balance are critical. If any plane has AFT CG the nose could pitch up sharply departing stable flight and is then non recoverable. As one burns fuel in wing tanks the CG does shift durring flight. Again, since he never did a weight & balance prior flight how do you even know for certain that it didn't contribute to this particular accident.

[@lbowsk]

I have not heard that he did not perform a WB. However, he successfully flew the plane 61 miles and then hamfisted it into a stall which he then further dicked up until he flew a perfectly good AC into the water. The video said that he was down to 103 knots and THEN pitched up to fix his low alt alert. Given all that, I seriously doubt that the WB had anything to do with it. MIGHT if have affected stall recovery? Certainly. But the plane flew just fine for quite some time before Chuck Yeager lost control of it. It's possible that the reason he didn't do a WB is that he was quite familiar with loading that plane and was certain that even with all the seats full he was within limits. I don't know anything about a Pilatus other than it looks nice on the ramp. Idunno, find and listen to (or read) the entire CVR. It's pretty clear to me that this guy was going to crash that plane sooner or later.@@Mikinct

[@Mikinct]

@@lbowsk still a lot of questions. If this plane had built in stick shaker & stick pusher how did plane still stall? I've read in other accidents with runaway trim pilot needed to pull fuse for that. But unless it's clearly marked when in IMC, warning lights & alarms blaring. Finding exact fuse to pull in that situation would be "interesting?"

[@nutlangsworld]

I don`t even make that many mistakes on my X-Plane 11 simulator😲😲Off course one can never compare a simulator to real world but this is just tragic !! Sad loss of life, respect to those that perished..

[@panacea407]

Just an FYI, the NC destination was in Beaufort (bOfort). Beaufort (bUfort) is in SC. Just a mispronunciation, no biggie.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Copy that! Thanks for commenting. Looks like the NTSB got the state wrong! Also, just my Canadian accent at work!

[@lbowsk]

Nice. And nearby New Bern is "Neuu-Brn". Just ask Burk S.

[@clayton4115]

what makes someone with 3000 hours do something like this???

[@ylekiote99999]

There's another video regarding this flight on youtube which has the complete in flight recording. It's like this guy was flying without ever being in a plane before in his life.

[@Hawker900XP]

Confused the priority navigate, navigate with aviate, aviate.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Yes, you nailed the executive summary. Difficult to believe a pilot with over 3000 hours of flight time forgot the number one lesson in flight school!

[@neilm9032]

How can anyone even get to this level of aircraft and have this happen?

[@BillSmith-rx9rm]

All it takes to get to that level of aircraft is money.

[@kevinbresnahan3394]

Easy money from government connection's, political entrepreneur is my guess.

[@RETread-xh6fr]

I don't need no stinkin' training.

[@BillSmith-rx9rm]

I'm only a PC flight simulator pilot. I have asked actual flight instructors what they think of students who previously were flight sim people. What they tell me is that the students that come from flight Sims are more focused on the instruments than looking out the window. To me that's kind of indicates that a flight sim pilot might actually be better at flying in IMC or IFR without becoming spatially disoriented, because they will focus on the instruments, and act accordingly.

[@Lightdasher360]

I can see why you'd think so, but focusing solely on instruments is not the way to go. Even if this were nighttime in IMC with the instruments broken, another pilot may have a map nearby and be making rough estimates on speed and position by using the math and logic they had to study for the license, and definitely using CRM with ATC and possibly others to get back on the ground safely. Speaking as someone that started as a flight sim pilot, a proper pilot will use all references and not be so focused on merely the instruments. I should also note: sim pilots haven't felt the feelings associated with flying an airplane, so generally they would become spatially disoriented more easily because of their own senses giving them distrustful info once in a bad situation.

[@lbowsk]

Excellent points! @BillSmith-re9rm@@Lightdasher360 A great pilot knows FIRST how to fly without "instruments". Without buttons, magenta lines, waypoints, moving map displays on iPads, auto-pilots, RNAV units, GPS, VNAV, etc etc etc. Once he's mastered STICK AND RUDDER skills, he should add the next layer. And then the next, and so on. I see young guns hopping in jets and other complex twins far too soon these days. Their training is not yet complete. They have no real experience. They used to get it by building time with more seasoned airmen. But Covid turned that dynamic upside down by siphoning every pilot UP in a unnatural vacuum of advancement as the airlines sprint to fill their seats. Guys are flying complex airplanes that they're just not ready for. And as a result they over-rely on the AP, the GPS, the other pilot, the tech goodies. And when the workload suddenly increases for some reason, the gaps in their basic flying skills surface and they crash PERFECTLY good airplanes. This has been happening a LOT over the last few years. If you really want to understand just how far this guy was behind this plane, read the actual accident report with the CVR.

[@rtbrtb_dutchy4183]

@@Lightdasher360agreed.

[@rtbrtb_dutchy4183]

Wishful thinking bud, but it’s not true. As a sim pilot, you don’t know what the inner ear will do to you and how to ignore it.

[@lbowsk]

What dutchy said is dead nuts on. A MUCH better approach would be for a guy to become extremely proficient in handling the plane using only "Pitch + Power = Performance" and basic attitude flying. Then you can transition to instrument work. Because if you cannot operate your plane accurately by simply looking out the window (obviously not in cloud) and using known power settings than you will have a much harder time becoming a decent pilot. There have been several accidents where experienced crews neglected to resort to P+P=P and then drove perfectly flyable planes into the earth. See BirgenAir 301, AeroPeru 603, and AirFrance 447, among others.

[@MooseGuy1]

This is a longer comment, but worth reading, I think. When he flew it up into a stall, in IMC, on the CVR, the kid knew enough to tell him to push it down, meaning push the nose down to regain speed and get out of a stall condition. (The boy also seemed to know which heading to take out of the restricted area to avoid the nuisance of being shot down by a missile. But I digress.) Instead, the idiot Dad, determined to prove to his young audience, that "Yes, kids, you, too, can fly in zero visibility without ever looking at your instrument indications. See, the trick is in trusting your inner ear; that never fails." Well, he was stupendously wrong. Going for a stall for the ages, he pulled it further into a climb. The son, too scared to say any more than "Dad!" probably could not believe the old man was actually going to fly them straight into the ocean like a torpedo. Talk about losing the genetic lottery. On this flight, PC Expletive Deleted, totally lost the plot. The kid would've been better off trying the whole thing without Dad at all. Mind-bogglingly bad pilotage. 7 innocent lives lost, and 1 more who caused it all. Makes me think of the Colgan 3407 crash near Buffalo, where Captain Dumpy Middle-age Guy was so distracted gabbing away about his exploits to impress First Officer Young Hot Gal, who'd never seen ice in all her flying experience, except maybe in a glass. Captain Dumpy flies it into a stall and did the same thing as Expletive Deleted did after a stall warning: Pull back on the yoke in a panic, heaven help us all! FO YHG, just now seeing how an experienced Captain reacts to a problem, panics, too. So, with speed falling fast, she raises the flaps (might as well have tossed out an anchor or flapped her arms), and we are off to the races. The stall deepens into a spin, and no one aboard has a happy ending. Not only were they late; they were forever "late" and hitherto referred to only in the past tense. And don't forget the poor souls on the ground who had their evening pretty much ruined by a Bombardier Q400 landing in the living room. Literally, the automation on modern aircraft, while great if used correctly, is often used as a substitute for stick and rudder skills. I've been involved in accident investigations a long time, made some friends and more than a few enemies for my reluctance to go along with certain probable causes, yet I'm still surprised by the idiocy of some people. Unlike the Colgan whitewash about the personal dynamics between the pilots, the NTSB appears to have been on point about the Pilatus crash.

[@jasonwhite1069]

I didn't get to the second half of your post. When I got to "...Captain Dumpy Middle-age Guy", I lost interest. You sound knowledgeable, but you'll have more impact if you use more professional language.

[@MooseGuy1]

You are probably right, sir, I agree. I'd get frustrated with seeing how things can go so wrong in an investigation, due to cultural and social factors that are too inconvenient or politically divisive to face or publish for the public. I say this as a dumpy old guy myself. I post as I do to help laymen get insight into contributory and causational factors of an accident without getting too far into the weeds with professional terminology to the point where they tune out. I write in a way that I hope will entertain and engage the reader. I often use dark humor to mask my frustration. But, I believe you have a very good point and thank you, Jason, for pointing this out. I meant no harm but can see how it may turn off people like you who have a working understanding of aviation. My apologies. @@jasonwhite1069

[@jasonwhite1069]

Good stuff, and thanks for a polite and measured response! @@MooseGuy1

[@MooseGuy1]

You are more than welcome. Have a fine day.@@jasonwhite1069

[@dlvox5222]

Aviate, aviate, aviate

[@TheFlightLevel]

Yes, there should have been a sticky note on the panel! But I think it was a lot more involved than the basics of flying!

[@jaaremynicewander]

Listening to the complete audio is painful, that guy never had the plane, he was behind before they even left the ground. They need to start questioning the training, CFI's, certificates, and who signed off etc. My hope is that the passengers didn't have comm's and were oblivious for at least most of the flight.

[@JH-kq3yp]

His son had more idea than his father the PIC, he was a student pilot and should have no blame apportioned to him

[@Latitudedriver]

He’s got no business flying that airplane

[@BillSmith-rx9rm]

You mean, he HAD no business flying that airplane.

[@grannyblinda]

as is often the case, too much money, too much plane, not enough pilot...simple as that...

[@Mike-bh7sh]

Great legacy to leave behind. I'm not a pilot - but recognizing arrogance and lack of self control [i.e. blowing up at things going wrong instead of thinking]. I would have thought that a pilot, finding themselves in such a situation, would have said forget the flight computer and JUST NAVIGATE manually. Better than fiddling with the computer all the way into the water. On the roads we have people fiddling with their phones (computers) all the way into the grave. JUST NAVIGATE...errr DRIVE.

[@travelwithtony5767]

Why did the plane pitch up suddenly, and why didn’t the pilot try to pitch noise down after the stall warning and stick shaker activated, instead of continuing to climb? I know it’s easy to jump on the bandwagon and just automatically blame the pilots, but something sounds off here (trim tab failure would be one possibility)

[@geeeeeee3]

PIC Ernest Rawls 67 had his son fly as CoPilot who had 20 hours of flight time. Rawls appears to have either no idea what he was doing or was having cognitive issues. Either way he killed 7 others and destroyed a perfectly good aircraft.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thanks for watching. There have been a couple of comments by those who knew the PIC. Comments suggest he had an ego. Did you happen to know him?

[@n5407c]

The fatal effects of Dunning-Kreuger's disease.

[@DrTWG]

Those poor kids who trusted their lives to that idiot.

[@neatstuff1988]

Well they do both start with what sounds like c.😮

[@bryanclayborne5039]

The worst part of it all is seeing the last Facebook post made by the mother of one of the boys who was with them. They are sitting there eating McDonald's waiting to go. They had had a wonderful weekend on a NC youth duck hunt. Remember the pilots' lost a father/husband and a son/brother. He just wrote too big of a check to cash.

[@DEAJP10]

That’s was my first thought. Why is he screaming navigate? Fly the god damn plane! Aviate always comes first. Many many many lives have been saved in emergencies when crews have aviated first then done troubleshooting (or even just taking stock of where they’re at) second.

[@Pgd10020]

Wow

[@GBEdmonds-j1i]

More money then brains. How terribly sad 😢

[@dingledav]

Pity co pilot did not grab control away from over stressed pilot just fly safely and land

[@bmwlane8834]

Only one pilot...pax in right seat.

[@M_MTsc]

Guess money doesn’t make you a good pilot (average) after all. Shocking. This fellow should have been in a 150? Who signed him off as competent in the Pilatus?

[@marcatteberry1361]

2/25/21 I flew on N273SM, the Medi-Flight out of Reno. It crashed by pilot error 2 years later. The plane seemed to be in top notch condition at the time I was in it flying to Moffet Field from Reno.

[@ATC-Zero]

Dang the NTSB doesn't even know why that flight crashed yet. You've got it all figured out eh?

[@laurenurban3942]

When you have money you feel that you’re invincible. I see this a lot with everything not just airplanes. I’ve seen rich people buy horses and think they can learn to ride on their own or with just a few lessons only to end up falling off and getting seriously injured because they won’t listen to anyone. Rich people think they know it all…..until they hit the ground hard.

[@TheFlightLevel]

Very cool analogy! Cheers!

[@jorgedelgado3357]

Inadequacies? More like stupidities and irresponsibilities. Should not even have been in any cockpit.

[@alsecen5674]

This sounds like too much airplane and too little pilot. Money can buy a big fast airplane, but it can't buy aeronautical skills. That comes with practice.

[@mrhyperbolic7455]

This scenario seems to be fairly common. Too much of a plane for him while not following basic rules of flight and especially NOT flying the plane. When you are losing it fly the freaking plane. Then be humble and ask for help instead of killing yourself and your family etc.

[@Solo-M-rf4em]

These idiots should not have been piloting any aircraft. These are basic errors that morphed into an uncontrollable snowball.

[@Richappen]

Wealthy individuals who fly their own complex aircraft are the most dangerous. An inflated ego convinces them that they are awesome pilots which rarely is the case. Unfortunately in this case this incompetent pilot killed his entire family. Chances are he was either a doctor or a lawyer as these 2 groups of professionals have an inordinate number of crashes.

[@Sreybk]

He wasn't a doctor or a lawyer. He was a pilot and a mechanic. He must have had money though because a $15 million wrongful death suit was levied against his estate and the company he worked for.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

FFS. Just call ATC and get vectors. If you can't solve your autopilot, stop chasing it.

[@elpepinazo7801]

Aviate, navigate, communicate. Too much bottom pushing!!!

[@joncox9719]

This idiot flew one of the finest, most capable aircraft right in the ocean! Grossly incompetent and unqualified! Accident looking for a place to happen, not IF, but WHEN! Prayers to the victims and their families. May they RIP!😪😪🙏🙏

[@BillSmith-rx9rm]

What a terrible loss. I mean really, the Pilatus 12 is a great airplane. It was a shame to lose it.

[@Travisesty]

Wow I’m floored!! Pilot was 67 yrs old. He knew better and lk he wanted was for the plane to fly itself (Autopilot) It’s obvious neither guys could pilot the acft. I’d expect this in a younger simulation-KZbin generation but this is inexcusable!!! Great video

[@TheFlightLevel]

Thanks for the visit! Yes, this aviation accident will make the top 5 of all time for sure. Just so tragic for such a short flight! Blue skies!

[@deuce38]

This is so bad I can’t watch the whole thing.

[@alalal8157]

More money than skills......................... And too cheap to hire a more skillful pilot to fly along.

[@igclapp]

It wasn't his plane. He was a professional pilot hired to fly it. Most likely he was affected by recent illnesses and medication and was not in the proper frame of mind.

[@rossnixon4049]

3000 hours experience isn’t much time. Stupid flying.

[@mikearakelian6368]

This person was not current competent on instruments and couldnt handle complex ac

[@TheFlightLevel]

So very true. A very sad story!

[@johnkowalski5756]

Not everyone has the genetic ability to be a pilot.