MedEvac Pilot’s Fatal Mistake Is Truly DISTURBING!

[@pilot-debrief]

If you found this story disturbing, the one next week is even more shocking! While you're waiting for it to be released, check out one of these other videos on the channel that you might like: The REAL Pilot Mistake That Got Clifford Killed! 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2nOp2SgobeehdE The Pilot Mistake That Killed 4 Generations! 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/enfHpX9nqtl_bK8

[@condorb7756]

Im planning on starting flight training soon and have watch almost all of your content to feel better prepared for emergencies. My question is after the 90 degree turn would the pilot have had anyway to recover the air craft before the aircraft was torn apart. Given the lack of proficient skill of the pilot I understand he would not have had the ability but would a co pilot or a more experienced pilot on board have been able to recover? Thanks for all that you do and for your service to the nation proud to know America has/had pilots like you defending its sky's ✈

[@jersenguard]

Hi Hoover, I like your channel but wish your debriefs were more Joe Friday(just the facts) and MR Spock(non emotional). If the truth offends some to bad. Feelings don't keep the bird in the sky, good pilot skills do!

[@matthew-jy5jp]

You can totally tell how much you care about the subject matter by how many times you upload videos. You can tell that you research it thoroughly. And I like your channel because you always show respect for those that lost their lives even though it's their fault and they may have caused it. Someone still lost their life. And this world would be a better place if we all had a little more empathy. And weren't so judgmental

[@nickkerr5714]

The clickbait titles of the videos are annoying. I get it, you think it drives views, but I’m marking this channel “do not recommend”

[@pilot-debrief]

I’m not sure you understand what the word clickbait means. This is a story about a MedEvac pilot that made a fatal mistake and if you didn’t think the reason why was disturbing then I’m not sure what to say about that.

[@robertmoffett3486]

I can't imagine he was "a great helicopter pilot" either, because his defects were too fundamental. He was apathetic about all the qualities that make for a good pilot. Perhaps even cynical. His lack of improvement over the course of years, on even simple tasks, prove he had no business flying. Am I too harsh? He was a danger to the public every time he got in the pilot seat, and that should never be tolerated. Employers need to enforce standards better, too. Unfamiliar with the company checklist after two years says enough about him

[@therealajnelson]

My thoughts too. Far too many repetitive mistakes, too many times, for too long point to an attitude that does not belong in a cockpit

[@cremebrulee4759]

You are not too harsh. He was not competent. The company should not have allowed him to fly.

[@planesandbikes7353]

indeed. thousands of hours should make those emerg checklists, not to mention routine flight checklists automatic. I'm a low hours PPL and have not got a good memory for the checklists but that's only 100 hours and I stopped flying after that. Thankfully for PPL using the company laminated checklist cards is acceptable, but for professional pilots it's insanely not acceptable to not have it memorized.

[@christopher6082]

I feel terribly for the innocent victims in this, the passengers. They are the ones who put their lives in the pilot's hands every time they step foot onto an airplane. Pilots should never lose sight of that.

[@ma-jp8bf]

Yeah. I got approval to take the multi-engine fixed written based on my US Navy helo time- 1,700 hrs total, a lot of night and yeah- night over water with no moon is IMC. I only had about ~180 fixed, all of it single engine. So, took the written and got about 9 hrs training in a Piper Seminole then took the FAA check ride and passed on the first go. Which really goes to show how good the military training and operations are in focusing on and reinforcing the basics. A civilian at the same place failed his FAA check ride twice despite having 500 hrs as an instructor in Seminoles. If you're not ready and well prepared for a check ride where you know the date/time of the flight-- highly unlikely you're going to be prepared for a control or instrument degradation when it occurs. Military does a lot of training on handling instrument /control degradations.

[@kevinklassen4328]

As a doctor I recently had to do what was essentially a "checkride" for some foreign physicians who wanted to work in the intensive care unit. Unfortunately I could not sign off one of them as there were a few things that happened which were concerning for a lack of core knowledge. I wondered if I was being too harsh, but when I see a video like this, it reminds me of how important it is to err on the side of caution when signing off on someone who is responsible for the lives of others.

[@xisotopex]

every standard, every time and every day. if they cant hack it, send them packing.

[@MickAngelhere]

The same thing happens here in Australia, the universities were more interested in making money off the Chinese full fee paying students to really care about the standards. The majority of them were paying others to do the work for them. The one thing I kept hearing from friends who are lawyers, doctors, accountants was every time they interviewed a someone who had come from China to study and was waving their degree around, was that they couldn’t even understand the basics of the profession. Not only that their knowledge of English was extremely poor or non existent.

[@Chr15T]

It would be great if the medical field picked up similar practices as aviation does, including checklists, checkrides and accident investigations.

[@Peter-w4s1e]

Probably too harsh despite this crash

[@rboydschultz1]

@@Chr15T Thankfully that has happened at least to some degree. Talked about in the book, "Checklist Manifest."

[@billcuster]

I work at Guardian flight and flew with Courtney for over a year. She was a wonderful human being. All of us who knew her miss her and are heartbroken again after learning the details of how she was lost.

[@deeremeyer1749]

You didn't learn that long ago from official reports? Guess you weren't that curious.

[@billcuster]

@@deeremeyer1749 if you weren’t just trolling you’d know the final report just came out.

[@HH-oe6fj]

That is totally unnecessary and callous ​@deeremeyer1749

[@HH-oe6fj]

Thank you for sharing ❤

[@hubertcumberdale6404]

@@deeremeyer1749He never mentioned that this video was where he learned of the details. You are assuming he learned all these details from this video, and then add a snarky comment in there too. Not a good look.

[@bencompton799]

As an ex fighter pilot and airline pilot, I love how thorough your accident debriefs are, but I often have to abandon the videos before the end because I find the meaningless deaths of innocent passengers so distressing. How pilots can be so lackadaisical, unprofessional and lazy is beyond me. Accidents happen of course, even to the best of pilots, but unnecessary deaths because of pilot stupidity is more annoying than revealing. But keep up your amazing work Hoover, for those who have the intestinal fortitude to watch till the end will truly learn how not to be a piss-poor pilot.

[@GO6iX4OUR]

I think it’s cool. You were a fighter pilot thank you for your service.. what Jet Fighter did you fly I’m into jet Aircraft..

[@TigerKhan1990]

At a minimum, if you are scared or confused, or frankly anything less than very comfortable with what you're doing - 4C! Climb, communicate, confess, comply. At the first sign of autopilot failure I'd be talking and getting to straight and level, staring at any instrument that I found reliable.

[@rfcdgaf]

Piss poor pilots don't know they are piss poor pilots, this guy should've never been hired or even have a license

[@reyray7184]

Some people think flying is the same as driving. I would say that over confidence makes up about 90% of pilot error crashes as the core reason for the crash.

[@MrSuzuki1187]

Hoover, I have been flying for over 58 years, have 30,000 hours, flew for a major airline for 29 years, and am still flying professionally at 74. In spite of the fact that I have been flying probably twice as long as you have been alive, I listent to every word you say on your videos. You are one hell of a pilot and an awesome accident investigator! Thanks for your spot on analysis of aircraft accidents. No one does it better than you!!!

[@GUITARTIME2024]

You aren't solo piloting passengers, are you.

[@nuttysquirrel8574]

@@GUITARTIME2024 Why not? Are you ageist? From his resume I'd rather be flown by this guy than brian!!!

[@TheCrucifiedMessiah-q7u]

Stop flirting 😒

[@GUITARTIME2024]

@nuttysquirrel8574 74 yr old with no co-pilot. No way.

[@ruthmichigander]

Why would they have hired him with a record like his?

[@flymike126]

The best work I did as a 20 yr check pilot (SA227, EMB120, EMB145) was washing people out. It didn't happen often but pilot debriefs like yours make me realize how important that job is.

[@SerenityNow....]

Nobody wants to be "that guy," but that type of gate keeping is so important. I've never flown a plane, but it certainly sounds like a very complex task, and the sad reality is, like with any complex job, that not everyone who has the dream of becoming a pilot will have the innate ability to do so...hopefully most do tho.

[@woodjacoodja9544]

Facts

[@bradsanders407]

It took a youtube video to get you to realize how important it is for check airmen to realize how important it is to have competent pilots behind the yoke? Something tells me you shouldn't have been a check airmen.

[@GlennDavey]

There's a lot of grumbling on Reddit about tough DPE's etc but I see them as being essentially life-saving roles

[@randyward2766]

@@bradsanders407 He didn't say that. Maybe you need to realize that you aren't qualified to communicate on the internet.

[@rebeccamoon5766]

This was such a betrayal of Courtney and Gabriel. They deserved better.

[@Useryofcsdnx]

And so young too. Gabriel Only 34 years old

[@condorb7756]

@@Useryofcsdnx Just turned 30 and thought id feel really old but you are so right 34 is far to young to pass. Prayer for the families of all involved and the victim's 🙏

[@clickster1883]

100% this

[@darrellhicks360]

I’m interested in the apportionment of liability in the lawsuit

[@darrellhicks360]

There’s always plenty of liability to go around

[@ajaks7636]

Killing yourself because you're a bad pilot is one thing, but taking others with you is sickening! Great Video! Thank you.

[@mijo3642]

Manslaughter

[@mijo3642]

@@thecomedypilot5894 yeah he did..

[@mijo3642]

@@thecomedypilot5894 he chose to fly into conditions he was not capable of. Just because your flight sim does it doesn't mean its real. Am done with your little dick waving now..

[@180mph9]

The company should be charged for employing an incompetent pilot, unbelievable.

[@adotintheshark4848]

not in their defense, but today there are too few qualified pilots..so much so that just about anyone who is toilet trained can be hired.

[@ocoolwow]

Which would do what other than wasting more taxpayer dollars? A company charged with any crime is an absolute joke as there are no consequences.

[@180mph9]

@@ocoolwow The company failed to communicate the total incompetence to the senior staff in Colorado, there’s an FAA ding right there, this company will or already have been sued, no doubt, what are screw ups are happening at this company?

[@erictooker6457]

@@180mph9 they have another report coming for a crash in Nevada

[@180mph9]

@@erictooker6457 Was that the Palatus accident out of Reno?

[@willpuchalsky8900]

I just wanted to say how professional you are doing these debriefs. You did a debrief on my buddy Keith Kozel and you did so well telling the story. Thank you Hoover !

[@rustyford3406]

I was a Flight Paramedic for 9 years in rotor wings, in the tough environment of the Rocky Mtns, however it was always dual pilot. My heart goes out to the crew aboard having to have faith in a pilot who wasn't supposed to even be in the cockpit.

[@calicoasting]

Exactly

[@jimirvine3152]

The rotor I see in Colorado only have one pilot because of the size and configuration

[@jimpalmer1969]

I totally agree. The FAA needs to rethink the whole Part 135 pilot requirements for IFR/IMC/Black Hole flying. This is happening way too often. It made me thing of the 2021 Burley ID crash of a Cessna Caravan that took the life of Chelsea Infanger.

[@funkytomtom]

Where are they running dual pilot? Never heard of this in that area.

[@rustyford3406]

@@jimirvine3152 UH-1V Models, this was back before civilian flight for life came to be, was called the MAST Program, Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic, was active-duty Army and National Guard participated and still do to a reduced degree. Technically the UH-1 is a single pilot aircraft but for the mission it was dual. I flew with the 571st Med Det out of Ft Carson covering a 5-state area. Because we were treating civilians, we had to be civilian Paramedic trained and certified. Even after flight for life came on the scene, we flew joint missions for mass cal incidents, FFL could haul one, we could take 3 if it wasn't too hot and too high. The military still does the hoist missions under the MAST Program, best duty I ever had in the Army.

[@noapologizes2018]

R.I.P. to those who perished. Whomever signed off on this pilot, should have known better. Two years and still not familiar with preflight procedures. Unacceptable.

[@jeanaprewitt9658]

The true takeaway from this is, be careful about what company you fly with. Non-airlines get the leftovers, the ones the airlines wouldn't hire because they didn't meet the standards or they didn't have enough experience.

[@greysheeum]

@@jeanaprewitt9658 Or perhaps some pilots don’t see the airlines as a desirable goal? Doesn’t mean their capabilities or skills are less (there are plenty of airline accidents due to incompetent pilots), they just don’t like that career path.

[@adipuppi]

@@jeanaprewitt9658non-airlines get the left overs? wtf is this comment mate

[@awall1298]

The tail… fell off his plane… mid flight…

[@noapologizes2018]

@@awall1298 Dude, the plane exceeded the structural design limits. What did you expect.

[@vampirebrianne]

After 2 years he didn't use checklists and was unfamiliar with the aircraft? When I was in training I was fanatical about checklists and asking my instructor to clarify any questions. Hey, I wanted to live too ! Great debrief Hoover! 💖

[@AndrewPeterson-nh4oj]

Single pilot part 135 you use flows not checklists. It gets too busy for dinking around with checklists.

[@bmw_m4255]

​@@AndrewPeterson-nh4oj WRONG

[@jay-rus4437]

At 51, with some real world flight training when I was 20, my instructor drilled that into me. Today, as a serious flight sim enthusiast, I consistently use checklists even now.

[@timchapman5567]

Hoover doesn’t suck; on the contrary, he’s dam good.

[@jay-rus4437]

@@timchapman5567 …. Who said he sucked?

[@Kylefassbinderful]

Debrief of *Pilot* *Debrief:* Very respectful analysis. I never thought you were slamming the pilot at any point in the video. I appreciate your straight-to-facts approach.

[@mll44]

A pilot playing music while flying in any degree of challenging conditions and against company policy deserves to be slammed. This guy had some sort of personality disorder. He knew full well he was way below average yet wanted to BE a cool pilot so damn everybody else. I bet he boasted about being a pilot at every opportunity. He wasn’t in helicopters anymore because he wasn’t allowed to stay in helicopters. I’m sure there’s a near miss story there. He also showed constant disrespect to his equipment. The fact that almost every single thing in a cockpit is there because of lessons learned harshly by others was irrelevant to him. He was Mr. Smarter Than Everybody Else because he felt that he was doing the least effort while getting the most status even if it wasn’t from other pilots and instructors. Thanks to the Autopilot. So now we sadly have a new lesson learned harshly by others: change the system so incompetent, literally stupid people don’t get to pilot any kind of commercial helicopter or plane, period. So many unsatisfactories should have added up to a final total of Unsatisfactory as a Pilot.

[@henrybecker6927]

I am a retired non rated Air Force officer and really enjoy your concise briefings. A lot of information is covered in a short time. Working in civil engineering, my guys had to pick up the pieces and map out where the debris landed first the investigators. I had a friend who flew the Air Force executive jets. Like the pilot in this video, he did not have the natural ability to fly and needed to move to another profession. He often landed hard. Once they had to send a crew to evaluate the aircraft before flying it back. I knew my shortcomings and did not even try to become a pilot. Keep up the good work.

[@unclelar53]

My instructor was a checklist fanatic, and I'm glad he was. He made me read it, and verify, out loud. After 20 years of flying my 172, I had the checklist memorized, but I still read it out loud, every time. Anyway, what a horrible and preventable tragedy. Thanks for these debriefs, they help keep me sharp.

[@theburtseoni]

When getting my private pilot's license many years ago, one of my instructors was an old military pilot and instructor. He made me read out the checklist, and then touch every control and item or gauge as I read it out loud. That muscle memory makes it stick even longer in the old gray matter!

[@unclelar53]

@@theburtseoni Roger that.

[@zublacus]

Even if you have the checklist memories....USE the damn checklist. It's not hard. These stories are heartbreaking for the others...they deserved better and their employer killed them essentially.

[@awall1298]

What’s the first thing you do on a checklist when your tail falls off mid flight?

[@awall1298]

@@zublacuswhat checklist do you use for a tail falling off mid flight?

[@Meh-j9s]

Flying is simply not for everyone

[@gertjanvandermeij4265]

And that while Flying is really simple ! You must be an total dimb@ss, to F it up !

[@jmizzonini]

⁠@@your_very_best you’ll never be safe in all situations and there will never be zero aviation accidents . Training is very carefully constructed using tons of research on how people learn and what skills are minimum to be a safe pilot. No matter how many hours you think people should have to have or how much more money it should cost to train, there will always be accidents. And the accidents have trended down over the years so things are being done correctly

[@uiogduiogd1582]

Unfortunately, it seems no one ever told him that.

[@mathis8007]

But flying is a dream of so many people, I don’t think these folks can simply just give it away even though they’re bad at it .

[@kehreazerith3016]

@@your_very_best I'm personally not the "best" pilot out there, I'm still working to make a professional career out it, but I've seen too many pilots forget that flying is supposed to be challenging. Yeah, you can get used to the routine to the point where it's not putting much "pressure" onto you but if you find yourself flying with little to do or unsure of what to do next, you are clearly neglecting a task somewhere and aren't prepared for the flight.

[@Kevin_747]

Unfortunately this guy was an empty suit when task saturated. I was a check airmen for 17 years of my 40 year airline career. Issuing an unsat or pink slip to a pilot performing poorly is an important part of the job and it sounds like the company check airmen were doing their job. Up the chain of command nobody seemed to be doing their job. When a pilot shows up unprepared for a sim check it pretty much sets the tone for how the whole check ride is going to go. Sounds like the director of training wasn't reviewing the work of his subordinates. This pilot got way too many "second chances".

[@toastrecon]

Yeah, it seems like they failed him as much or if not more than he failed himself or his passengers. Maybe if they'd have kept him back, he'd have had more time or drive or whatever to get the proficiency he needed or he'd have realized that this might not have been the career for him.

[@Zzyzx--]

Agree, can not figure out how so many failures didn't "come to the attention" of the Director of Training and result in grounding until a review and correction plan were in place. That's on the company and the Director personally, makes you wonder about the rest of their pilots too.

[@45KevinR]

From a sofa this feels like the company's testers had the job to get a pass recorded. In most of his history they give him a pass on a second go during the same flight. Or the same week. So I guessing the chief only gets told or cared if the test couldn't be forced into a pass. It's a shame this culture affected flying though - it's all too common for commercial van drivers, even in the UK. Managers simply don't want to deal with someone not being good enough (yet). Fortunately it's lower risk than flying, and they do have a legal licence - it's just their ability to do the job is bad.

[@gruffy4967]

@@Zzyzx--What is the point in paying for and installing a system that records instruments and activities carried out in the cockpit and then failing to dip sample them, especially on staff who have repeatedly failed checkrides?

[@mikelomax9957]

@@gruffy4967 Great point!

[@GuruDog-xg2yd]

I have seen thousands of plane crash documentaries. This cool talking smart dude is the best narrator of flight crash films, hands down. !!!

[@chrisstorrer]

He really has this gig nailed, right? Great speaker, presenter, and decent human being.

[@lawrencefisher5256]

When I see this many failed check rides and company recurrent training failures I see a red flag. I have taken and passed many check rides in career, fortunately never failed any. I see this and it’s abnormal in my humble opinion. Excellent job Hoover. You deliver a needed message yet respect the dignity of those lost.

[@saffy4352]

Brian was not fit to be a flight captain with so many failures in such short space of time! Absolute absurd amounts of errors in Brian's professionalism.

[@NuncNuncNuncNunc]

Don't forget that all of this SHOULD have gone up the parent company. He was held to the level of professionalism demanded by the ironically named Guardian.

[@samuraiwarriorsunite]

Imagine if students in medical school continually failed medical exams but were passed anyway. Any profession that deals with public safety should implement the highest standards possible, no exceptions.

[@Alwaysdirty-zj4tj]

Brian's flying skills killed 2 people and himself, enough said.

[@NuncNuncNuncNunc]

@@Alwaysdirty-zj4tj Whole point of a debrief is to discover more that needs to be said. How did so many failures go unchecked for so long is a big question that goes beyond the pilot's skill? My gut says there was a rush to get a warm body, but this is the type of question that should be asked but can't be answered by looking at the pilot alone. The holes in this swiss cheese began lining up before he was hired.

[@180mph9]

Unbelievable

[@mikefreauf6192]

Nice review. As a flight medic, I certainly find this de-brief a little scary. I always put such trust in my pilots.

[@TheShays]

Don't be scared, be vigilant. Just like Doctors, not all doctors finished med school with excellence, some barely passed..

[@encinobalboa]

If you knew the pilot's training history, would you still trust him?

[@deevnn]

@@encinobalboa Nope...

[@mikefreauf6192]

@@encinobalboa being a flight enthusiast, if I would have known the pilots history, I would not have got in the plane. Ambo flight crews usually have a sort of work credo, everyone has to be good to go, or no one goes.

[@mikefreauf6192]

@@TheShays unfortunately medic crew don't always know the flight history of their pilots. A aircraft like the one Hoover talked about is normal for us to have only one pilot, when I crew on jets, we have at least 2, so I am always more comfortable.

[@drats1279]

A man has got to know his limitations. Brian was too incompetent to realize how incompetent he really was. Shame on the company that hired him and retained him as a pilot with his track record of training failures.

[@mountainof7]

I'd say that's true except for the multiple failed check rides which were not kept a secret to him

[@mijo3642]

Dunning Kruger syndrome

[@nordan00]

Too incompetent to realize how incompetent he was? Sounds like a certain female presidential candidate in the news recently!

[@ronnie_5150]

Sure, but you also had a company that knew how incompetent he was, but clearly was just pushing him through.

[@divinecommerce3912]

ITS CALLED THE DUNNING-KRUGER EFFECT. Ignorance has a naive boldness 🤡

[@scottmonroe6522]

I am sure the Guardian Flight PC-12 crash that happened the following January in Stage Coach Nevada will be the same cause as this one. I used to fly for them. Guardian flight is managed primarily by people who have little management experience and are in way over their head. Stay away if you are considering flying for them either as a pilot or as a medical crew member.

[@MJBever]

FACT and professional knowledge and opinion, is NOT putting someone down or dissing anyone. Please don’t feel you need to constantly apologize during your videos.

[@eddavis1832]

Holy cow! Yeah, Brian may have been a wonderful human being, but he clearly was a “sloppy” pilot. Excellent debrief! Thank you for taking the time and effort to share this unfortunate episode.

[@tylernathan7985]

Sloppy is a nice way of putting it

[@KentRoads]

if only his mum had given a sloppy instead of having that baby

[@fdllicks]

I am a nonpilot. But even I raised my eyebrows when he said "immediately after takeoff, at 160 ft, he put on the autopilot". Even to a nonpilot, that sounded very revealing about , well, about a lot of things.

[@BegudMaximan-zp2tc]

Not being fit for purpose and being let off is no excuse.

[@InMyBrz]

INCOMPETENT is a better description of him

[@trailboss3131]

I'm impressed that the NTSB retrieved the records in 6,000 ft of water.

[@pimacanyon6208]

yeah, pretty incredible. more than a mile deep.

[@cubplt]

The NTSB did not recover the wreckage, Global Medical Response (Parent company of Guardian Flight) paid for the recovery.

[@FelonyVideos]

I have a hard time that the alleged images of an aircraft that is practically intact are legit, after a full speed water hit and 6000 feet of debris floating downward. The craft had to be in thousands of pieces scattered everywhere.

[@57appel]

​@@FelonyVideos The Titanic stayed together, albeit in half. Shipwrecks stay in one piece, why not a plane? It's physics.

[@Not.Your.Business]

@@57appel impact forces are a bit different between the 2 situations, don't you think?

[@dannyadams2211]

I like how you are respectful to the pilot while still being completely honest in your criticism.

[@dadgarage7966]

I envy him for all the restraint he has when talking about these imbeciles.

[@kayak8919]

Hoover is always very clear on his own purpose-to look at facts (without emotion) as lessons for sharing valuable information that could save another pilot (and passengers) in the future ….. mistakes with deadly consequences mean Brian won’t learn a thing from the debrief but someone else might!

[@catherinegee2741]

I'm married to a retired Air Force Pilot and I asked him how they could possibly have let a person with so many failures through. He said that he never should have. Someone dropped the ball. After the 3rd failure he should have been washed out and not allowed to progress further. It shows a failure to grasp the basics.

[@erictooker6457]

This is common practice at this company.

[@jackodinsen604]

I flew for Guardian Flight for 6 months. The management was insanely bad. The Chief Pilot didn't care about the pilots, and the director of training had never flown EMS. There seemed to be a great deal of "good ol' boy club" and hiring based on personality rather than qualifications. The culture was completely dangerous and there was a great deal of pressure to take flights, pilot shopping, and manipulation of proper maintenance practices. I am surprised they are still in business.

[@erictooker6457]

This is all an accurate statement. A family member worked for them experienced the same thing

[@the_lost_navigator7266]

I think you just described a lot of companies right now 😢

[@chudleyflusher7132]

Sound pure MAGA to me.

[@pollylewis9611]

You are right Hoover the facts are the facts; this never should have been allowed to happen. If this story isn't disturbing enough yikes what will next weeks bring, wow. Thank you for all of your hard work for great debriefs Hoover!

[@pilot-debrief]

You’re most welcome!

[@earlyapex911]

As an emergency medicine physician, this hits very close to home. Medical transfers are an important part of profession.

[@LegioXIVGemina]

EM physician here as well: We need a “Hoover” to debrief our medical errors.

[@jonslg240]

Somebody who fails this many check-rides in a row should never be flight instructor rated, nor transport rated. Every good pilot should have passed most of those the first try, instead of requiring 2 tries to pass anything like he did. Do you really want your life in someone's hands who doesn't study enough/practice enough to get it right the first time? Obviously not.

[@jonslg240]

*NO COMPANY should require their pilots to fly 2 weeks of daytime flights and 2 weeks of nighttime flights.* That's literally setting even good pilots up for failures. Daylight savings time (which is just 1 hour) leads to countless deaths. However, he wasn't even a good pilot. That schedule would push even good pilots to the brinks of their limits That's extreme negligence against this company in 2 ways: 1) accepting poor pilots because the work schedule would be denied by any good pilot 2) they forced a bad pilot to fly this horrible schedule, leading to deaths. I hope there's civil suits against them because of this, because they decided to let him be a pilot, and they basically forced him to fly nights/days every 2 weeks, and they basically forced the EMT's onboard to fly with him. This company should be bankrupt in the civil suits so that new companies who don't do these egregious things can take over, even if they charge a bit more. *LIFE IS ALWAYS WORTH MORE THAN MONEY IS.*

[@earlyapex911]

@@jonslg240 My aviator friends taught me that accidents do not occur from a single mistake. This horrible crash is a perfect illustration of this.

[@bpjr1899]

Failure to failure to failure to death.......Good Grief.....Thanks for these lessons in life Hoover...

[@markserbu]

Great video as always! I'm glad you're emphasizing how flying over water at night without a moon is technically VFR, but is essentially IFR! Years ago before I got my instrument rating, I made a flight from Tampa to Key West. I took off around 3:30 am and it was a moonless night. My pilot friends warned me about the conditions and suggested I hugged the coast all the way down instead of going direct. For whatever reason I didn't take their warnings to heart, but not long after "feet wet" I understood! Looking out the windows was pointless, as everything was absolutely pitch black. I was in an old 172 with no autopilot, so I was hand-flying it. Fortunately I was in the middle of instrument training, so flying by instruments was easy enough. I was calm, in spite of my situation, but that soon changed as the ride got bumpy. So now I was over open water, 60 miles or so North of Key West, and I was in the clouds! It didn't really change my situation, as I was flying by instruments already, but now I started to panic a bit as I realized that the clouds could go all the way to my destination. I managed to get myself to what I can imagine is the calm of the doomed as they accept their fate, because I knew panicking would do no good. Luckily about 30 miles out the clouds dissipated, and soon KEYW came into view. It was a HUGE relief, the trip back was uneventful, and I haven't come close to cheating death as much as I did that night several years ago!

[@user-pb9xj8nf5v]

Perfect job, as always! We feel your pain when you have to pick apart the lives of people who pilot these plane crashes. Nobody can ever say, "hoover, try walking a mile in their shoes" because you have. I know you're not doing this for any other reason than your love for flying and trying to prevent the loss of life in plane crashes that could've been prevented. I'm not sure if you read these but I'm the guy that isn’t a pilot and my dad was an instructor, crop duster and mechanic in the Lubbock Texas area. Keep up the great work and just know the influence you have on people is much more than your ability to pilot airplanes because iti is obvious that your character is exceptional.

[@jmc2510]

I fly the same conditions as the pilot in the debrief. I KNOW what that situation is like. Stressfull? yes. Doable? yes but man if that co pilot AI light goes out here we go. Stress load through the roof. Would be better off just taking your hands off the controls and let the plane self fly, even without autopilot. Declaring the situation may have saved that guy.

[@sarikagoode1505]

Did you know that most medical transport companies are now owned by private equity firms and indeed run as a business for maximum profit? I hear of so many of these accidents happening to medical transport aircraft, almost as often as rail accidents. The owner of this craft was subsidiary of KKR Financial Holdings LLC who bought it from Bain Capital.

[@dougbrooks2501]

Most of everything in people’s life has been invaded by this cancer. Money at all cost is the motto.

[@flufwix]

Private equity firms are a blight on society

[@JWB373]

This revelation explains all. Capitalism at its worst.

[@KaileyB616]

Unfortunately that's how basically everything is now, and it's so depressing

[@colinfitzpatrick3644]

Wow such a tragic case, and so unnecessary. Thanks for sharing this one.i am a flight paramedic and Educator with the largest EMS system in Canada. We have multiple airevac bases across the province and fly both fixed and rotary aircraft. We practice a " 4 to go, one to say no" rule, we never fly singal pilot, where every crew member meets at the door of the aircraft and verifies that the mission is safe to conduct.any team member pilot or medic can stand down the flight if they feel something is amiss.would have been a good practice here i think. As usual, great job Hoover, look forward to the next one.

[@markpimlott2879]

'ORNGE in Ontario Canada, perhaps?

[@colinfitzpatrick3644]

@@markpimlott2879 nope, BC emergency health services.

[@SkyeCove]

@@colinfitzpatrick3644as a BC resident, thank you for the important work you and everyone else does at BC emergency health. I’m glad to know you’re there but hope to never need your services. “1 to say no,” sounds like it can help a lot. The pressure to not be the one who calls it and says no must be real. Especially when that might mean the people you are called in to help might not get the care they need.

[@lindsayder]

I think the fact that health care is a public service provided by the government probably factors into the safety policies implemented. I'm sure Worksafe BC would have had input on or had to approve the procedures.

[@caiolinnertel8777]

I’m an old pilot and grew up in the late 70’s and 80’s flying the older instruments. I have found newer pilots easily loose spatial and situational awareness if any of the advanced avionics fail. I really enjoy my recurrent training, but I also fly my plane (C414 and other’s King Airs) as if I’m being evaluated always and working parts 121 and 135 ops. During recurrent training multiple failures are simulated and no big deal. Fly like you train. When I’m flying alone I rehearse emergencies “Oh, fire left engine” and go through the procedures. I film my flights and debrief everyone. There is ALWAYS something I find I could have done better. Great debrief, as always, really appreciate the hard work that goes into these.

[@FairladyS130]

Maybe the usually less physically active children of today grow up with reduced spatial and situational awareness.

[@slateslavens]

I agree with the people that say that the pilot should have been washed out. But I also think the operator (the company the pilot is flying for) should _also_ be washed out after three incidents. Just as three failed checks indicate that a particular person just doesn't "have what it takes" to be a pilot, three incidents indicates to me that the company itself doesn't have what it takes to conduct safe air operations. Upper management personnel should likewise be barred from further work in avaition-based ventures.

[@jake_]

"Unfamiliar with company checklists, could not perform any cockpit pre-flight checks, poor knowledge of aircraft systems". OK, how is that possible. I am sorry, i don't get any of all that. It doesn't make any sense. How was he allowed to even taxi that plane, let alone fly. Are there companies out there that hire pilots like this one? The whole story is just inconceivable. I am more angry with the company he worked for, than the pilot himself.

[@ClearedAsFiled]

Exactly...where is the accountability?

[@Mark-pp7jy]

I worked at a small FBO for several years, which was the base for scheduled freight service. (UPS/FEDEX) Primarily, my duties were that of a flight coordinator. I soon realized that the pilots who walked through the door for employment, or training, were no different than any other profession. Mostly competent people, but some that were just not suited for aviation and it's demand for precision. It opened my eyes to a certain level of dysfunction between needing to uphold the contracts of "scheduled" service and putting safety above all else.

[@afriendlyfaceinthecrowd]

Thank you, Hoover, for this excellent dissection of a mishap that leaves me shaking my head. With no disrespect whatsoever to Brian, at what point, I ask myself, does the individual owe it to himself or herself to have that “hard conversation “ with themselves about their fitness and abilities to safely pilot other souls? Particularly disturbing to me was the detail of turning on music during a medivac flight as PIC. The most important part of a flight overview is the PIC first evaluating himself-(IM SAFE) and going by fatigue on the night of the flight alone, it would have seemed a safer option to turn down the assignment; hand it over to another pilot, or at the very least have another qualified pilot in the right seat. R. I. P. Courtney, Gabriel, and Brian.

[@SongJLikes]

I guarantee you that Brian was 100% dependent on autopilot …. His confidence was sky high, unless he had to fly a check ride… OR the autopilot went out of operation…. Both needed to be overcomeable obstacles.

[@elizabethramsey4245]

Wjycnot give disrespect to Brian? He disrespected himself and his passengers by flying ,when for multiple reasons, he shouldn't have. He was a very irresponsible pilot!!

[@afriendlyfaceinthecrowd]

@@elizabethramsey4245 I mean this kindly, so please read it as such. Brian did not take off intending to leave his loved ones bereft. Nor did he take off intending to unalive Courtney and Gabriel. No pilot ever thinks these things ARE going to happen to them...until they do. THAT's why Hoover's debriefs are so important, to help us see where and how the holes in the Swiss cheese line up and how to mitigate, to the best of our abilities, those holes from lining up. Also, Brian's cousin is in this comments section. Brian did not take off *intending* the outcome of this flight---for anyone involved, including himself and all those he knew and loved.

[@elizabethramsey4245]

​@afriendlyfaceinthecrowd Dear Sir, of course Brian didn't intentionally go on a suicide mission. However ,I strongly feel that he was very reckless in flying that night. I don't think he thought it thru and was too much of a risk taker! Obviously also over confident In his skills as a plane pilot! These are my feelings on the matter.

[@afriendlyfaceinthecrowd]

@@elizabethramsey4245 Roger. I comprehend your feelings on the matter and agree with them.

[@Rodknock_jay]

Brian was my cousin, and as a family member I miss him dearly... but was a terrible pilot.

[@robertmoffett3486]

I'm sorry about your family's loss. It's terrible. But yeah, not a good pilot.

[@BrianHoff04]

Very sorry for your families loss.

[@smal1393]

Condolences for your, and your family's loss, thank you for your honesty.

[@marksc1929]

Sry for your loss .. RIP Brian

[@CaesarInVa]

Wow, that must have taken some courage to say that. I'm sorry for your loss.

[@D51S]

There’s another bit of detail that was left out. There was a bit of high altitude haze that night that prevented us from even seeing the stars. It was about as pitch black as it can get that night. Also, the lights on Big Island are very dim due to a rule to prevent light pollution from interfering with the observatories on Mauna Kea making it hard to see much of anything other than Kona. I was about 20 miles SE of where they went down that night on my first night flight doing my PPL we heard CAP being called on as we were going back to the Ramp.

[@TravelingPilots]

I like the part when you said “He needed someone to seat down with him and have that hard conversation”. I wonder why he tried to switch to airplanes. I believe that if in two years time you do not know how to perform a preflight then it is because you do not care to do one on the first place. Complacency case ? Maybe ?. Hard and painful to know that the phrase “rest in peace” is what finally stopped him. Great video thanks!

[@chrisUSA]

The attorneys for the deceased need to put Guardian Flight and its corporate CEO, Director of Operations and Director of Training, respectively, out of business. They should be sued until the company pays maximum policy limits and then has to file for bankruptcy and liquidation. I’m only speculating about what steps or actions by the FAA could be taken. If needed changes were made that’s a good thing

[@encinobalboa]

That's simplistic. Yes, the company blundered and needs to pay. They should be required to change management personnel and procedures. They do not need to be put out of business.

[@Jim_Jimworth]

@@COYOTE_N8 Did you watch the video? You might want to watch it again.

[@drfabulous77]

@@COYOTE_N8 Go announce you're a racist somewhere else, shitball.

[@maltlickytexas]

@@COYOTE_N8Ok, MAGAt.😂

[@adamstevens1083]

​@@Jim_Jimworth What you're responding to reads like a bot comment. Complete non-sequitur posted solely to get people engaged on an irrelevant hot topic.

[@jimmydulin928]

Excellent debrief, Hoover. As an Army Huey medevac pilot, I was amazed that most civilian helicopter and fixed wing medevac operations were single pilot. That is a money issue, I expect. This one, as you pointed out, was really bad management as well. I am confident the computers help the young single pilot, but I never made the jump to light speed. I have had equipment failures IMC and going to the DG for wings level (we had RMI) was critical. Also annual instrument check rides were IMC if possible and partial panel was required. Glass doesn't talk to me (situational awareness) like needle, ball, and airspeed but should work for those trained with it. Keep it up, Hoover. We need to understand why we do what we do.

[@PeterStaniforth]

As an ex X-15, SR-71 and Concorde pilot, I agree with hm.

[@stevet8121]

Huey? Are you a Vietnam war veteran? A hero to me.

[@johnqdoe]

Moral hazard is a feature of Western capitalism, not an aberration.

[@johnqdoe]

@@PeterStaniforth 😂🫵

[@jimmydulin928]

@@stevet8121 I flew the Cobra covering my loach in hunter killer teams in the First Air Cavalry in Vietnam. It was an honor. We won every engagement of the war, but failed to recognize the big picture. We and ARVN failed to protect the people of South Vietnam from an even worse government than what they had.

[@seaskimmer9071]

Yo Hoover, Your debriefs just get better and better. I really appreciate your way of showing empathy and compassion while not allowing any excuses. I'm sure you're familiar with the adage of aviation being unforgiving, and this case is another great example. Thanks for your hard work.

[@iheartcolorado9311]

I was watching your latest video and when it was finished, this one started and I got the shock of my life. Brian Treptow was a friend of mine, and I did not know that he had died. Brian and I met years ago when we worked at a local ski hill together. Brian was INCREDIBLY outgoing, a true extravert, and one of the friendliest people I have ever known. Brian and I became fast friends, and had a lot of great times together hanging out. I had not spoke to Brian in probably 10 years, we kept in touch initially when he moved to Hawaii, but eventually lost touch. I sent him a message about a year ago, and never heard back, and I just figured that he was busy with life. The shock that I felt when I heard you say his name at the beginning of this video and then saw his picture, was nothing compared to how I felt when I heard his voice on the recording, I am really shaken. This is so sad, and completely unexpected, and so heartbreaking.

[@2Phast4Rocket]

Damn

[@dhouse-d5l]

In the Military people like this with successive failures during training are shown the door very early.

[@fakshen1973]

​@ma-jp8bf that's a BS response. If you don't make the cut, you lose your wings. Uncle Sam doesn't f around when he loans you a bird. I've seen one woman on Debrief and the rest were white males. So where is all this DEI incompetence? Ih that's right... in your head.

[@agauerm]

@@ma-jp8bf in fact they even lowered the standards

[@andredarin8966]

@@agauermProve it.

[@kellistrong4244]

I wish we could return to when commercial companies mainly hired military pilots. It's a mess now.

[@edmundwest5636]

As a 100 percent ignorant civilian non-pilot I have a reasonable expectation that a person with this type of record will never be in charge of any flying machine in which I might travel, or which might pass overhead. How about if your surgeon had this kind of record would you just say ''sure Doc, go ahead, only half your patients die''.

[@moniqueh7948]

I know with absolute certainty that I will NEVER pilot a plane, and yet, I can't stop watching your videos!!!

[@lordlundin6495]

me either, but that's because I'm blind. :( There's a surprising amount of blind people who love aviation.

[@MGA19a]

It is still a great showcase of analytics and report on facts so it is edutainment… kind of

[@KG84C]

One of these people may be in the cockpit on your next flight though.

[@parrotheadstx]

Same.

[@dippingmyfoot]

Me, too. It really is fascinating to learn about all that is involved.

[@williammrdeza9445]

Another tragic outcome that seems to have been preventable with proper attention to detail. So very sad for all the victims and their families. Thank you for the straight forward debrief, Hoover.

[@GaryNumeroUno]

14 hour night shifts! WTF! 1700 to 0700 the next morning is an abomination. Whoever drew that roster up needed shagging! I was a variable all hours of the clock shift worker as a train driver on 12 hour shifts and I can confidentially state a shift like that would have been way too fatiguing... especially a 14 hour shift! Fortunately we were not permitted to work beyond 12 hours... even then 12 hours was way too long in my opinion. Cheers Hoover. Keep up the good work. Regards from Oz. 😮

[@surf2live96789]

Its similar to their shift are 12 hrs but they can fly up to 14 if they are already on a flt. Pilots are to have 10 hrs of uninterrupted rest after each shift

[@catherinesarah5831]

🦘🇦🇺 Thanks Hoover, for a very detailed & concise reproduction to a tragedy that could have been averted. The fact that he started the flight after 16 hrs of no sleep is an issue for anyone. Twin engine is bad enough, but stacked with black night VFR & tiredness, that’s strike 3, you’re out. 🛩️🙏

[@psrwhite]

Hoover thank you for all of the hard work you do in researching these accidents. It is sad that Brian's employer allowed him to fly with so many training failures.

[@AlanToon-fy4hg]

Red flags everywhere....😮

[@JRNation8988]

I got my PPL in Hawaii. Flying over the ocean on a moonless night really is like flying into a black hole. Especially when your destination airport has pilot controlled lighting, and you don’t have any references until you’re within range of operating the lights.

[@fjbtube6278]

It should be classified as an IFR flight.

[@almorris171]

I read an account about a Navy RF-5 Vigilante pilot who got the crap scared out of him parking the plane after coming aboard his carrier In order to park the thing, the nose would stick out over the water as it was turning. He said he looked down and thought he was going overboard for a split second. It's easy to get disoriented. I used to hate flying in clouds in airliners cause I'd get mild vertigo when I could not get a horizon reference out the window. Course I had no gyro to assure me all was well. I never thought of it then but I could have carried a bubble level for self assurance. There I'd sit with a drink in one hand and a level in the other. 😀

[@somestuffithoughtyoumightl6985]

I’d like to know more about the multiple instrument and autopilot failures. Poorly maintained equipment is unacceptable, especially in this environment. The other problem is how the industry has been moving away from the stick and rudder skills that could have changed this outcome. Oddly, these skills are usually more common in rotor pilots like Brian.

[@jordanpennington9426]

Man, it seems like virtually every time we see a story about a medical flight going down it always comes from a service that’s under the GMR umbrella. It’s almost like having a profit centered mega corporation in charge of one of the most high risk jobs you can have as a pilot/medical professional is just not a good idea.

[@surf2live96789]

They are the 2nd or 3rd largest provider in the country

[@danielfox9461]

Good grief I didn't realize flight schools work like my high school wrestling team, you won't ever get cut from the team no matter how bad u are, as long as you don't quit you r on the team. So a pilot can fail every check ride but as long as he keeps flying, he's a pilot

[@crBudgetWatches]

That’s scary. Until now I thought all pilots had the same basic skills , basic still being a very high bar and that tenure gave you more experience in difficult situations but now I would think twice of flying on small airplanes or not well known airlines…

[@dustyflair]

as long as he keeps paying $$$$ he is a pilot.

[@Premier-Media-Group]

Sadly, this is especially the mindset of teams (from many industries) in Hawaii.

[@sithticklefingers7255]

I’ve seen Instructors who can and will send a student up for a check ride 2-3 times. The attitude is that most people don’t go beyond ppl and that washing them out becomes the purview of those in airline AQP environment, or the military. In reality, they float down the river into part 135 ops or other small regional companies and eventually peter-principle their way into passenger-carrying flying, which is the last place they should be.

[@PurpleDreki]

Even though I am not a pilot, I work in a complex environment, and I really appreciate your attention to detail about checklists and following procedures! It is actually a pretty simple task to do most of the time. Best not to find oneself in an emergency from not doing the checklists! My personal opinion is that Brian should have ever been allowed to fly. All of the first pass failures were big red flags.

[@mmatejka01]

I watched this on other aviation channels. I appreciate how hard it was for you to go into the pilots history and lack of training. I could tell it was affecting you. But as always you keep it professional.

[@SkipGetelman]

This is totally unacceptable How could a company keep this man flying with such a pathetic record

[@NIGHTSHADELY]

I've flown as,a passenger many times as I get older I get more scared , now if I'm trying to sleep Ona plane I wake up every 15 minutes thinking I'm falling , it's very unnerving, for some reason your debriefs actually give me comfort .thank you so much for what you do

[@adventureswitharizonaart6117]

Back in the 90's a guardian flight iced up and went down behind my house, 80 miles from where the pilot thought he was. More recently 2 of them collided over my town, Flagstaff. I've often wondered about their operations.

[@RayPierreWhit607]

I lived in Flag for 15 years. I remember that tragedy. Would make for a good video on situational awareness and maybe air traffic control (not sure that 2nd one is applicable since they probably weren’t in a phase where ATV was involved).

[@steveo601]

That training pace was ridiculous

[@brianwilcox3478]

Excellent as always Hoover. I have learned a great deal more about aviation than before. It gives me more insight to what the pilots of ww1 and ww2 had to deal with. Please note there was a fatal crash at Old Reinbeck Aerodrome on Oct 5. The FAA is investigating. Their Fokker D8 replica caught fire and crashed. Condolences to all involved.

[@bohnulus]

Hoover, IMHO you possess a robust life philosophy. 'tell the truth' and rationally step us through a process to illuminate the best way. love your channel.

[@douglaswhitcomb9729]

Extremely troubling debrief. You really feel for the medical crew and patient that perished in this horrible accident. Their families as well. I agree that fatigue should have been listed as a contributing factor. The fact that this individual was allowed to continue to fly as a Pilot in Command is really unconscionable. I also think that even though the aircraft is certified for single pilot operations, these companies should be operating them with two fully trained and qualified pilots. Especially in this particular environment of inter-island operations. Our company had a well established Safety Management System. We were also encouraged to develop a personal SMS. Over time, I found this to be very beneficial to my own development as a professional pilot. You never want to stop learning. After so many failures in training and flight checks, you would think that this pilot would have had the discussion with himself to either make the necessary changes or find something else to do. Thanks again for your efforts.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

no Patient, they were on their way out (flying to the small island to pick up the patient and return with him to the mainland)... this is important because they were flying/navigating in a way that would have been illegal with a patient on board, using a loophole as a private plane to fly uncontrolled & not file a flight plan of any kind... had they filed a flight plan, they would have never been approved with their onboard equipment list.

[@douglaswhitcomb9729]

@@stanislavkostarnov2157 I missed that. Thank you for the clarification.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

@@douglaswhitcomb9729 that was highlighted in the Takingoff channels version of the debrief.... I think Blancolirio pointed it out also... I do not believe it was mention in this video though,

[@wingmanjim6]

This is the kind of mishap that is very hard to pull off without being personally critical of the pilot and persons involved. Hoover always manages to get to the heart of the problem yet remains sensitive to the humanity involved - facts and objective constructive criticism in the forefront. That is a pretty rare skill, and it is most appreciated when reviewing the event. Thanks, Hoover, for the excellent job you do.

[@ph5915]

Geez, could there actually be another case where there are non-stop issues like this one? This is so bad on so many levels. It seems almost amazing he flew enough to survive the amount of hours he had! So sorry for the loss of life, definitely shouldn't have happened!

[@chunkycornbread4773]

Switching from days one week to nights the next is probably the dumbest schedule I can think of. There is no way you can maintain a regular sleeping pattern.

[@brightpathvideo]

Hoover, you are consistently professional and sensitive to the strong emotions involving accidents like this. Kudos to you and keep up the great work on this channel.

[@ghtaboma]

We know you put a lot of time into these videos, and it is appreciated.

[@mikelomax9957]

It seems to me that the FAA should have a greater involvement in regulating smaller aircraft and their operators. There are so many inexplicable failures here and there seems to be no excuse for any of them. If the company is incapable or unwilling to ensure proper training, safety and maintenance, the FAA should step in to protect those who had no involvement or knowledge of these failures. This is not just bewildering, it is infuriating.

[@thedahlins]

Exactly! The mistakes we see on this and other aviation channels often exhibit a fundamental lack of basic piloting skills. In this case he still had the basic " six pack" of instruments that should have been more than enough to conduct a 20 minute flight. At altitude, he most likely would have been able to see the lights of the city he was heading towards. If not, at least fly the heading given, maintain the correct altitude and within moments he would have seen lights. If he had declared an emergency, the controller would have been able to give him all he information he needed. He simply should not have been a pilot.

[@mikelomax9957]

@@thedahlins The problem in this case was that the poor maintenance of the aircraft deprived him of some instruments that someone with his poor skill set really needed. He was too reliant on the autopilot and was lost when both that and the attitude indicator failed. The scary thing is he seemed to be unaware of how deep of a hole he was in and the danger they were all in. His attitude toward flying seemed to be 'make do' or 'get by'. The fact that he turned on the autopilot as soon as he did and started ignoring the aircraft speaks volumes. A twenty minute flight and he can't wait to stop flying the plane. He had no business being a pilot, not to mention flying an air ambulance. Hoover is right. Someone should have sat him down and had that hard discussion

[@thedahlins]

@@mikelomax9957 Yes, good points! As you say it's bewildering and infuriating. It was a VFR flight, so likely even without a moon, stars would be visible. How many more pilots are there who should not be flying? Being able to fly with a partial panel should be mandatory.

[@nighthawkviper6791]

Jesus Christ here we go again with the regulations. Why not just take a Neuralink chip and let the FAA fly for ya too.

[@wfemp_4730]

@@nighthawkviper6791 I imagine that it is indeed frustrating to have regulations, but when lives are at stake, I'd rather have more than fewer ones.

[@glennjanello2198]

You have an amazing way, respectful, caring and factual..I applaud and thank you for your service

[@Dovietail]

Wait. You've had a devastating accident, and you're fighting for your life. And THIS is the guy offering you a lift to the trauma center??? Thanks, but I'll just walk. 😮😮😮

[@randallbowman2930]

If restaurants are required to post health ratings, I think pilots should have to physically wear some sort of pilot skill ratings placard and be required to visibly disclose it to passengers before going anywhere. Passengers have a right to know if their pilot is incompetent!

[@robsteal3887]

This guy should have never had this job, had no business being in that seat.

[@fjbtube6278]

One common theme in a lot of these IFR scenarios is the pilot’s inability to HAND fly an IFR approach. Seems like reliance on auto pilot systems is the default mode for most of them!

[@mowtivatedmechanic1172]

Ahhhh hang on homie. In this specific scenario he had primary AI inop as well as AP inop. I agree with you but for a 20 minute flight this scenario played out rapidly in real time.

[@barbarachambers7974]

It sounds like he Never should have been a pilot. Anyone who didn't stop this process should also get a blistering talking to! 🙏

[@Andromedon777]

This is why people need to take training very very seriously instead of just an obstacle to overcome. We're training to be safe, competent pilots, NOT to pass a check ride. Our DPE's have emphasized this many many times. We all make mistakes in our training. Lack of proficiency is surely a danger, too. You HAVE to know your limits

[@ClearedAsFiled]

Well said......❤.

[@c208driver6]

That company should be sued for wrongful death of the nurse, the flight paramedic and the patient (if one was on board). I do check flights for my company and I have no problem in recommending that additional training or flat out rejection is necessary.

[@therealajnelson]

My gosh how can someone fail that many times and think that maybe this isn't the job for you? It's like the guy doesn't retain information very well. RIP to all and prayers of peace for the families and friends of the victims. So sad.

[@dantimber]

Personality type. He didn't see it as a big deal.

[@Lurch-Bot]

Just goes to show that having hours in your logbook doesn't really correlate well with being a good pilot.

[@pattyhaley9594]

It's called militant ignorance, thats how.

[@Jeff-q4u]

It sounds to me that he was just learning to pass the tests. Not to fly 😢

[@joshualandry3160]

This hits close to home. I fly medivac king airs and had an AI and autopilot fail in the weather, although that was another aircraft. That incident included a non precision approach to minimums. I expect the weather to be significantly better than it was. It can be a high workload environment. I dont get how switching day/night pilot in the middle of a shift would work. No one would have 10 hours of rest and there would be gap in coverage, not to mention how hard switching your body rhythm is. Ive never made a clean switch to nights. The first night is always a bit rough. It is also a field most pilots cant handle. Single pilot IFR is almost a lost art. A lot of good pilots just cant hack it here. Put the accident pilot in a crew environment and he would probably do just fine.

[@mowtivatedmechanic1172]

I agree. We fly medivac two crew always. In the start here had a second pilot been there he could have easily taken over until the FAF was made and/or the city lights came into view and real VFR flight could be made. I’ve flown night “VFR” over the ocean all over the place. There’s absolutely nothing VFR about that kind of flying. You’re on instruments the entire time.

[@joshualandry3160]

@@mowtivatedmechanic1172 Not just the ocean. Most of the Midwest is a black hole as well. I don't think I've seen a truly VFR flight at night in years.

[@mowtivatedmechanic1172]

@@joshualandry3160 I also agree, unless it’s night over a very big city like new York, Miami etc… even then we load the appropriate IAP into the FMS or GPS and fly IFR procedures to the ground. Even in crystal clear air. And on medivac flights were always 2 pilot even though only one is required. I agree that ALL these flights should be two pilot required.

[@FutureSystem738]

Wow- ALL those failures! That’s an absolutely HUGE red flag. During my over 38 year aviation career, both G.A. and airlines, I failed literally nothing, EVER. That includes absolutely everything including multiple “check rides” and something over a couple of hundred sim sessions for both type conversions and licence renewals etc.

[@RG-xd1gj]

Hoover, I have listened to several of your videos, you are absolutely an amazing person and pilot. All pilots should be as thorough as you. Brian should NEVER have been allowed to fly anything especially a medivac. Thank you Hoover for your videos!

[@msromike123]

This is an FAA and employer problem. I don't blame this guy; he obviously didn't have the self-assessment skills to be a safe commercial pilot. The FAA system and his employer let him and the deceased passengers down. "There is no specific limit on how many times you can retake the IFR checkride. However, failing the checkride multiple times can be seen as a red flag by potential employers. After a failure, you can retake the exam following additional training from your instructor. If the retake occurs within 60 days, you retain credit for previously successful tasks and only need to redo the failed maneuvers."

[@karldoering9409]

As a former flight paramedic, I can tell you that this sort of pilot competence problem is not uncommon. Medical flight crews are never allowed to share in flight planning decisions and are pressured by management to take flights no matter what the conditions. I was once busy caring for a critical pediatric patient when the pilot landed at the wrong airport in rural Texas causing a long delay in reaching an advanced care facility. No action was taken against him by management.

[@johnopalko5223]

"Medical flight crews are never allowed to share in flight planning decisions and are pressured by management to take flights no matter what the conditions." Well, _there's_ a recipe for disaster. That violates the very definition of "pilot in command."

[@loopbackish]

​@@johnopalko5223i think "medical flight crew" means the doctor on board, not the pilot. Hopefully the pilot is involved in planning or that would be really bad!

[@johnopalko5223]

@@loopbackish Yeah, you're probably right. I saw "flight crew" and thought "pilot." Hey, show me a conclusion and I'll jump to it! 😃

[@pattyhaley9594]

Totally agree and have my own stories as just a private pilot. Can you imagine being expected to fly with someone like this, ever? My father didn't think it was a good idea for me to become a pro pilot. He said I should just do it recreationally. I started realizing on my own, and while still a student, that one needs to fly like the pro's do. If you want to be safe.

[@jordanpennington9426]

I’m glad you can say you’re a former flight paramedic after working for a service like that. And anyone else who works for a service like this needs to GTFO really quick. At the service I work for it is encouraged for the medical crew to be involved in the flight planning and accepting/declining the flight for this very reason. We have had pilots like this in the past that have been let go or put into intensive training due to med crew complaints and concerns or from them just refusing to fly with certain pilots.

[@WebberAerialImaging]

In all similar incidents, the employers are the responsible party. Each of us has the ability to be an unqualified PIC. They are 💯 at fault for keeping such persons in the position.

[@rickr530]

That pattern of checkride failure and retake is very disturbing. You can't bomb it that hard and then be good to go a week later, there's just no way. I've known people who fail because of one thing and they go out and brush up and pass again the next month, but to fail on so many fundamental issues again and again is really bad. Not everyone is cut out to be a pilot, aircraft are very unforgiving.

[@carysecrest1827]

I was a low-time C172 driver in a flying club and realized I wasn't committing enough hours to stay proficient, so I stopped flying. I'm hooked on your videos. They might persuade others who are in my position that perhaps a different hobby is in order.

[@JWB373]

To quit flying because you can’t put in sufficient time is an amazingly mature as well as difficult decision. Possibly this option deserves attention during flight training.

[@quodsum7912]

Dang, how could a ATP with over 7000hrs be such a poor pilot? Procedures are procedures whatever you are flying, I don't think this had anything to do with transition from helicopters to fixed-wing. I would bet he had the same issues in helicopters, just was lucky enough to not have a major accident there. Luck ran out when his attitude display went out.

[@45KevinR]

I had a thought in the opposite direction. Everything I see describes helicopter flying (even in daylight clear) as being very full on. And rather like juggling, with both hands in constant motion. It seems unlikely he'd have survived 6000+ hours if he was as bad at it as with the light twin! Even if he only flew daylight. Perhaps the concentration level required in helicopters actually kept him focused and his skills reinforced...? He was probably still a wild card with procedures, but his basic skills and concentration may have been far better. Put him in a comfy seat with autopilot and he's going to lose even the aspects of piloting that kept him alive before. I'd half assumed the investigation was going to reveal that his identity or flight history was fake.

[@sahakiap]

forget the atp, how did he get his commercial and instrument?

[@Dan_C604]

Are companies so desperate for pilots they give a green light to pilots like Brian??

[@JoshuaTootell]

He was probably cheap, which is the #1 priority of companies

[@MysticalSoulz]

I appreciate the respect you have for those who have passed. Even if they did make huge mistakes that essentially took other peoples lives

[@FamWay]

The lack of oversight and training at Guardian Flight is terrifying. Changes need to be made to ensure this never happens again.

[@glennbowers78]

I don't fly at night very often and I just completed a 6.5 hour cross country flight over ground a couple nights ago, single pilot. This included fuel stops at unfamiliar airports. I can only imagine how difficult that would have been without my attitude indicator and/or autopilot and over moonless water. I at least had some reference to ground because of lights. There were times where it looked like the lights on the ground were extending up an incline, but I was over flat ground. The dark messes with you.

[@yesthatkarim9601]

you’re absolutely right about the pitch black conditions being able to mess with you, but being awake too long can do that too. i once did a cross-country drive, and towards the end of the trip, i experienced a similar hallucination where the road looked like it was “extending up an incline,” while it was perfectly flat. i remember being terrified… then realizing it was a hallucination due to not having slept. big hint to stop driving! i had never experienced anything like that before or since. i mention it because the pilot in this case might have been similarly sleep-deprived. engaging the autopilot so soon after takeoff might also reflect his lack of sleep.

[@christianfensbo6980]

The problem with flying- any aircraft - is that when all is working as it should it’s so easy and forgiving. When it’s not working it’s the complete opposite. That’s why training, experience and following procedures is so important!