Real Pilot Story: From Miscue to Rescue

Link to certificate and ASI transcript: bit.ly/RPSMisc...
Description: Watch as a series of delays, poor decisions, and lack of preparation turns a four hour cross-country flight into a 30-hour survival crisis for a pilot and his family in the unforgiving Idaho backcountry. For more information, go to the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Survival Safety Center: www.airsafetyin.... For transcript credit and your certificate, go to: bit.ly/RPSMtRCert

[@IrishDave]

His daughter Heather also deserves a mention here, she was amazing on 911 communication.

[@dryan8377]

Totally agree!

[@badmonkey2222]

She was the hero here.

[@Raketenclub]

teach your children well ! :)

[@Ksweetpea]

I started crying, hearing Heather. She did so good in such a horrible situation

[@flagmichael]

Imagine... everybody has serious injuries, the situation is bleak and getting worse with snow and time, and she has the only known thread of hope in her hand with a dying battery. When I heard the recording of her voice I could hardly believe she was able to be so intelligible and focused. No shouting, no rush of words, and responding to questions. I have been in a _much_ less desperate situation and failed after repeated attempts spanning minutes to get the guy on the sharp end to answer my questions.

[@davidmontgomery638]

On behalf of myself and the thousands of pilots whose loved ones are safer because of this video, thank you Brian for sharing this. It is really brave of you and you have my admiration and respect.

[@conqururfear]

David Montgomery yes sir I agree

[@brianbrown2463]

Thank you for your kind comments.My family is alive for a reason and we are trying to make good of it. I volunteer for the FAA as a FAAST rep and share the story to try and explain that it can happen to anyone. I wish I could get that day back and in a way , I do when I share it with others. Fly safe my friends!

[@gogogeedus]

@@brianbrown2463 Its an amazing story Brian and you sharing it will save other pilots from falling into the same trap, I hope you and your family are fully recovered and that you are flying again.

[@brianbrown2463]

@gogogeedus thank you for your kind words. We are all recovered from our injuries and are flying again. I have a Skylane (Cessna 182) now and continue to speak as a volunteer safety representative for the FAA, as well as Christian venues and thank you speeches for professional rescuers. We wouldn’t still be here without them.

[@chriszbodula1894]

Are you kidding. This guy was dumbass all the way. These comments are the type of stupidity that cause these situations/accidents. In the end of the interview he still didn’t get it. When I listen to these reports all I walk away with is here goes another egoic wimp who was afraid of ATC or embarrassed for being a dumbass. I guess it’s true what they say about natural selection. My heart goes out to his daughter for having a dumbass as a father. With his job experience he had no excuse for putting them in this situation.

[@superconnie5003]

the 911 dispatcher is brilliant.

[@brianbrown2463]

SuperConnie I agree! The 911 dispatcher did a fantastic job!!!

[@Sagachel]

She just did an amazing job. Asking logical easy and useful questions. In 10 sec she obtained enough info to work with sar teams.

[@cameronmcallister7606]

I mean, often they may have an idea, a local flight? Well then I know I must be in my own county (Or at least around there). If not, then there are still a lot of ways to get GPS coordinates.

[@Sovereign_Citizen_LEO]

She did a great job.

[@flagmichael]

@Bill j It is critical information to get the right people involved. Neighboring counties will not be familiar with the terrain or local weather quirks. Trying to coordinate across jurisdictions is a complication the victims may not have survived.

[@cshamm]

This is powerful to watch. It takes a strong man (clearly this guy is) to say I screwed up and my whole family nearly paid the price. Imagine how much guts that takes to even keep your composure like he did.

[@dryan8377]

Thank you!

[@Ksweetpea]

This story has me in tears. Heather did so good. Search and rescue did so good. Good on Brian for telling his story; its so hard to recount how you put your wife and daughter in danger

[@flagmichael]

Maintaining his focus must have been an enormous challenge complicated by his own head injury. Rescue was a close-run thing as it was; lack of focus would surely have been fatal to all three.

[@shastacastor]

Tough story to tell but he may save a new pilot for having told it.

[@lukycharms9970]

@@shastacastor yeah I was just gonna say that too. Anyone who is going for even just their private pilots license should either watch this video or read this story. It is a perfect example of so many things you should NOT do. The good part though is that the lessons pilots can learn from this single story has the potential to save soooo many lives

[@jpb9064]

I'm gobsmacked by the number of negative comments left here.. Brian didn't need to go public and open him self up for criticism, he did so that others may learn from his experience...and avoid a similar accident. Thanks for having the courage to share this Brian...as an ex ppl I found it very informative, and I'm sure many others did too. Please ignore the armchair critics. A big thumbs up from me!

[@brianbrown2463]

JPB Thank you for your comments. It is a little bit of a gut punch to read some of the negative comments. However more concerning to me because those negative folks leave an impression that it can't happen to them. My heart is warmed by the people like you that do get why I did this video and the safety presentations because you are right, it's not easy to stand up and admit the errors made. My family and I are blessed and grateful that we are alive and have the opportunity to do so. Thanks again!

[@davidmihevc3990]

Couldn't have said it better. So glad Mr. Brown and his family survived and he shared his story for others to learn from. Admitting to mistakes is a hard thing to do, much respect to him.

[@infiltr80r]

The negative comments are correct. How in the world do you fly around without even a flare gun?

[@LeantoPeak]

@@brianbrown2463 everyone's a critic. Thanks so much for sharing your story. We all make mistakes, most of us are just lucky we don't live long enough to make a fatal one. I think in aviation the most important lesson is to have a plan B. Always! Should it not look good enough to fly, then don't. If it's a trip you must do, plan a train or car trip as plan B. That's it.

[@MarionBlair]

@@brianbrown2463 Agree, you did good. How many pilots carry a handheld or epirb. I was in the same situation many years ago but luckily found a road and I wasn't in the mountains.

[@nunyabusiness7927]

Wow, that's the most competent 911 dispatcher I've ever heard.

[@eracer1111]

I realized that I've never seen anyone thank AOPA Insurance for sponsoring these excellent videos. Thank you, AOPA.

[@PaulAnthonyDuttonUk]

Very touching story. 911 lady was impressive also. She asked the right questions and acted well.

[@RobertJamesChinneryH]

Yeah but these people wanted IMMEDIATE SERVICE...

[@cali9460]

@Robert James Chinnery Typically when you're stranded in the mountains in snowy conditions after crashing a airplane with your child on board you're damn right they wanted to be found immediately. Not to mention the massive head wound he had.

[@stevek8829]

Three cheers to the chopper pilot. He flew VFR into that IMC snowing conditions--on purpose to save others! Like the Carpathia sailed to aid Titanic full speed through the ice field. Another cheer to the entire rescue group--and the daughter.

[@iwaswrongabouteveryhthing]

highly skilled pilot for sure

[@mdb831]

Lest anyone believe that this can't happen to you I can assure you that many better pilots than Brian are dead because they thought the same thing.

[@KabbalahSherry]

Facts 😕💯

[@845SiM]

His honesty has probably saved lives. He made a mistake, but his testimony helps everyone realise it can happen to you. If in doubt, get the chicks back out.

[@InformalGreeting]

We can all learn a lot from this story. But the most telling part of this story is in the comments. Brian being here and responding to comments and continuing to tell the story and how it has effected what he does now is also an important part of this. He is clearly a thoughtful man that understands the risks involved. Yet he still made the decisions that made this all come together. If it can happen to him it could happen to any of us.

[@flagmichael]

It is instructive that many - maybe all - the negative comments betray a mindset that would have proven fatal in this situation or others to follow. Granted, the decision to fly was rash. Granted, safety measures were too weak. Granted, all sorts of other things. I seriously doubt any of us has no weaknesses in any of those and related areas. In the end, being able to deal with the hand that is dealt is all that matters.

[@NoorElahi1776]

Here is a guy with all the right experience and sufficient training but still made the wrong choices. Powerful and humbling.

[@eracer1111]

Did he do everything right? No. But... His first GOOD choice was delaying his departure. His next GOOD choice was landing on the gravel runway. His third good choice was flying the aircraft, even though he was going down into a canyon. Give the man some credit.

[@dryan8377]

@@eracer1111 He did. The words 'Powerful and humbling', are perfect for this case. He basically said, 'this pilot's story makes me think twice before flying'. I respect his statement.

[@villagelightsmith4375]

@@dryan8377 Statistically, "accidents" happen to ... us.

[@2016-m1h]

Right experience??

[@evantugby]

@@eracer1111 it only takes one bad choice. It doesn’t matter how many good choices you make beforehand. When flying, every choice needs to be a good one.

[@JYCrazy1]

Brian seems like an incredibly level-headed and intelligent man, that’s why this one always hits me more than the other Real Pilot Stories videos. It proves that it can happen to any one of us given the right (or the wrong) parameters. Thank you for sharing your experience Brian, I’m sure it will save at least one life if it hasn’t already. And huge kudos to the 911 operator, the rescuers and to Heather who all acted incredibly.

[@stumccabe]

That 911 dispatcher was awesome - efficient and compassionate.

[@goneflying140]

Yes, you can tell she has either had a lot of experience, or a lot of training. She knew exactly what to say and do.

[@entelin]

Some have commented on the "stupidity" of the pilot, or how he was "determined to make it occur". This is not fair, and frankly framing stories like this is another way of saying "This can't happen to me, because I'm smart". The reality is that VFR into IMC is one of the top killers of pilots, and in most of those cases they thought they were making safe decisions. In others they knew they were making a bad decision but took off anyway convincing themselves for various reasons or pressures. The way the mind can weigh it's various inputs can be incredibly insidious. It's a hard thing to explain, and often these stories look so clear after the fact "how could I be so stupid", but in the moment it's sometimes not easy to see or to make the right decisions. The best advice I could give is to talk with your instructor, set some limits, don't violate them, and practice saying "no, this flight is canceled". But don't ever say it can't happen to you, because it can.

[@brianbrown2463]

Entelin thank you for your comment. You are spot on as to why I agreed to post this video as a learning tool. I speak at many flight safety seminars sharing the points you made in your comments and there are a lot of pilots who come up to me and say "wow, you made me think about a flight or two that I made and never should have". My hopes are that many will set minimums for themselves and practice saying no, I'm not going to fly. Human factors are a very powerful thing.

[@ii0rionii246]

Do you still fly? and If so are you Instrument rated now?

[@brianbrown2463]

Entelin yes I still fly and am working on my instrument rating. I take any course available and still speak at many venues as a FAAST Rep.

[@williamyost2837]

Brian Brown I'm so very glad that your experience was not a tragedy. I would encourage you to not pay attention to people who want to criticize or mock your decisions that day. Far more important is the good that you are doing by talking openly about this matter. Imagine if all humankind had the courage to speak openly about our experiences knowing that others may be critical. Thank you Mr Brown for speaking up so that others may be warned, educated and enlightened. That others may heed your words and live another day.

[@FSEVENMAN]

Entelin Jesus for god sakes quit being so politically correct you seem to be overlooking the fact he almost killed himself and his entire family

[@agoston]

Brian Brown. Thank you for sharing your story. Very moving and educational.

[@FlyersDistrict]

@Air Safety Institude, please make more of these videos.

[@greenpedal370]

Using the camera flash was a stroke of genius!

[@Larsonaut]

But why where no flares on board. What did they do for three hours and did not think about emergency communications. They totally lucked in so many ways. And this guy forgot so many important things every step of the way until rescue.. Forgot declaring an emergency. Forgot the mobile phones until called. Forgot to plan how to signal helicopters.. Unbelievable he was a rescuer. Luckiest people

[@mjb47pappy]

That has got to be the best 911 operator ever!

[@ConvairDart106]

I was flying from Seattle to Indiana, in the fall of 1988, in an Archer, and over Montana got sandwiched between two overcast layers, above and below. When I turned around, it had closed behind us. I had to tell my wife to stop talking so I could concentrate on my panel scan, as the layers came together. Luckily, we broke out 20 minutes from Billings, and landed for fuel. The only thing that saved me, was the insistence of my WW2 pilot/instructor, to fly under the hood UNTIL I had it down, and not the minimum required by the FAA. RIP Don McCann, and thank you so very much, for teaching me so many things, that are not in the books!

[@prorobo]

That was the most gut-wrenching of the Real Pilot Stories by far and a sobering reminder to not chance IMC flying when you're not rated.

[@Kev376]

If he would have chanced IMC maybe he would have made it, this was a case of someone trying to fly under a cloud in the mountains. Who knows if he could have flown using his horizon instrument or not.

[@cockatoo010]

Also, don't delay getting the IFR rating, it's so worth it!

[@Alex-us2vw]

I would’ve thought after he was blocked in by IMC conditions he would’ve been safer to climb out of the mountain wave danger zone and gone into his instruments. Not much you can do to save yourself when caught in a severe downdraft in a fully loaded 172 that can maybe climb 300-400fpm at that altitude, but be in stuck in a several thousand FPM downdraft

[@jamesprice6381]

Yes brother, imagine your wife n kid nearly dying, man, i cant fathom what they went thru,

[@100forks]

As a pilot, I have a basic rule. If I get to the field and have to make a GO, or NO GO decision, it's always NO GO. You can always live with a NO GO. With a Go, you may not live.

[@norgeek]

Does that mean you never do a go/nogo check before your successful landings? Isn't that kinda dangerous?

[@johnemerson1363]

@@norgeek 100forks is trying to say that when you get all the information you need to make a decision, if you are not comfortable with the information, you don't go.

[@goneflying140]

I think that after he got himself into a bad situation, the absolute one thing he did a great job of, was to continue flying the plane. When he saw the airspeed drop, he didn't panic and pull back on the yoke. Even knowing there was mountainous terrain below, he pushed forward to maintain airspeed. Doing that allowed him to have enough airspeed to pitch up right before impact, which ultimately saved their lives!! Had he kept the airplane stalled, it may have spun in nose first, or not had enough airspeed to pitch up before impact, and we wouldn't be watching this video. I Just want to point out a positive, with all of the negatives people are posting about what he did wrong.

[@m3528i]

A serious attitude problem for pilots is “it can’t happen to me”... for those of you who think you’re immune... take this story to heart. It really could happen to you too..

[@Sirmellowman]

of course it can happen to anyone, but its the decisions made and the lack of prep is why people are angry. rightfully so.

[@flagmichael]

@@Sirmellowman How many of the angry people do you think are prepared, and how many people are angry because they assume _they_ don't need better preparation than they have? Whiny people have the worst prospects. (Was at point of death twice by the age of 18, saved by unforeseen events both times.)

[@sludge4125]

@@flagmichael Hey, nut hugger, at least 99% of pilots would have done EVERYTHING better than Brian. I am tempted to say at least 99.9% of pilots. Your infantile rant shows a complete ignorance of what a pilot is like. Brian himself admits to a plethora of mistakes he made. And the suggestions made at the end are really just basic things that even a third grader would know. So get mad, champ. I suspect that you are as ignorant as Brian was. smh 🤦‍♂️

[@johnirving7931]

Moving story humbly told, with the humility to share and admit his mistakes. Their daughter was so impressive and kudos to the rescue services. And I must mention the savvy 911 operator who was exactly who you need in an emergency.

[@jimmywrangles]

That dispatcher was awesome, they can thank her for their lives and I hope she got a medal or something. I got emotional watching this.

[@flyingmulerider7166]

I have watched this video several times since I was familiar with the incident as it was covered by local news outlets when I lived in Idaho Falls and at the time and I was flying my C-182 routinely in Idaho and throughout the northwest. I have since moved to Montana but fly the Idaho mountains and backcountry regularly. I have pondered for sometime about leaving or adding to the existing comment stream, much of which consists of inaccurate assumptions and visceral personal attacks that do nothing to move the safety dial forward. First off many have commented about how irresponsible it was for this gentlemen not to have an instrument rating. An instrument rating would have done nothing in this case and the fact of the matter is 35% of pilots that fly VFR into IMC have instrument ratings. Flying VFR in the mountains and frankly anywhere in the U.S. is extremely safe and appropriate when balanced with good judgment and caution. I believe the cause of this accident is simple and far too routine, as follows; 1.) Poor decision making associated with VFR flight into the mountains. 2.) Inexperienced pilot for the type of flight and conditions attempted. 3.) Ill prepared for the conditions of the flight and expected terrain. 4.) Overloaded airplane. I will not make judgments on this gentlemen and do appreciate the video. I suspect he will likely never make any of those mistakes again. It is always good to look in the mirror before one starts throwing stones- I have certainly made my fair share of mistakes while flying and was lucky to get out alive. Best wishes and safe flights!

[@donsremodeling]

Great assessment! I believe he was a fairly good pilot or he/they wouldn't be alive to tell this story. Kudos for getting the plane down safely, albeit damaged and souls not without injury.

[@stumccabe]

Brian made many mistakes, but he is man enough to tell his story to help others - very commendable.

[@pasoundman]

Many lessons can be learnt from this tale but overwhelmingly ALWAYS file a flight plan !

[@IrishDave]

There is no reason for anyone to be mad at this pilot. This could have happened anyone and I truly appreciate his honesty.

[@Sirmellowman]

could have happened to any idiot yeah. there was SO many HORRIBLE decisions made over and over here. Any half responsible pilot would NEVER end up in this situation, especially with his family in the plane at the mercy of this dimwit....taking off with a destination 1 hour away with 1 hour of daylight, doing the flight in the first place with the whether forcast predicted while vfr with no IFR training, not filing a flight plan, not contacting ATC and declaring a emergency, not having survival gear before going over mountains. I could literally go on and on you have no clue what you are talking about and I sure hope you are not a pilot because not being able to recognize this guy is straight STUPID is scary.

[@patrickreagan6443]

Pilots learn lessons the hard way. This is a great channel.

[@basesperanca]

Jesus Christ is this emotional. Really happy they made it out alive. Cheers for sharing the story so we can learn from it.

[@brentjohnson6654]

Much thanks to Brian the pilot in sharing this story. No judging ! We all can get caught up in pressures and other influences. Thankful that the family did walk away. Also thankful for Brian’s reflection on the decisions leading up to the accident and wishing he could take it back. Wow, thanks for the great advice!

[@aviationbutterr]

Props on Brian doing great with safety. Many pilots would continue onto IMC but Brian was fine with waiting and waiting for better conditions. Unfortunately they still got stuck in the middle of the weather

[@my83roadster4me]

The fire chief at the end gives a lot of good advice. Thanks chief.

[@johnfranklin1955]

This pilot took off three times under questionable conditions and lived to talk about it. Lucky man.

[@kcindc5539]

This should be mandatory viewing for anyone working on their PPL. Being a private pilot is like having a pet boa constrictor. Always have a healthy fear of the possible and never, ever, EVER let you guard down. If you feel “comfortable” about your journey, I can absolutely guarantee you aren’t properly prepared for it. This is about as much a cautionary tale as possibly could be.

[@burtthebeast4239]

Amazing story!!!

[@jimmywrangles]

Brian is a brave man to admit his mistakes, by making this video he'll probably save lives. Kudos to him and thanks for the upload.

[@dhart8451]

He did more excuse making than anything else. Total idiot that got lucky,

[@leecowell8165]

wow Heather, Dad, and 911 dispatch had their brains working that night!

[@planpitz4190]

At 9:08 the place the pilots head hit the panel is visible....very good argument to equip every vintage airplane with at least shoulder or 4 point safety belts.

[@Trvlrxxx]

So many lessons in the video. It took both bravery and humility to go public with this. Brian freely admitted the many mistakes he made: both in planning the flight and in the flight itself. My takeaways are 1. Always file a flight plan on a long flight, particularly over hostile terrain. 2. Use Flight Following. I get VFR radar services on virtually every flight I take, even a 20 mile hop from my home base to buy fuel. You're not bothering ATC. They WANT to know that you're out there and what you're up to. 3. Make sure all your devices are charged up! Why start a long trip with a low charge on your cell phones? I never travel anywhere without a portable cell phone charger. 4. Carry a flashlight!. 5. Carry at least rudimentary survival gear. 6. Dress appropriately for the terrain you're flying over. It may be hot at home and at your destination but if you're flying over mountains you know it could be very cold down there. Have some warm clothes available, as well as shoes appropriate for walking out. Have some bottled water and at least some energy/granola bars. Basic Boy Scout stuff. "Be Prepared." 7. I wouldn't have thought about it but, in cold weather, keep your handheld and other devices warm- next to your body might be the best place. Having a working handheld would have been might comforting when that helicopter was first overhead that night. These are not criticisms. They're just lessons I learned from the video. Thanks for sharing, Brian.

[@granskare]

my son was a high angle fire rescue guy at the 8000 foot level. He had ground school. I am pleased these people were rescued, and it was a real learning experience. I have windows 10 which I thought was to improve things but it was worse than my windows 7 pro.

[@davisx2002]

Brian Pure luck man...Im glad your lives were saved. I dont think I could ever fly again if I was in your shoes. I have done stupid things in my life, so I cant judge you. Its obvious that you didn't intend to push it to that point, and I can tell that you are a good person. Take care of your self

[@guy_incognito7538]

man youtube really needs a heart button.....

[@ChristopherSaindon]

Yep. This is a no-excuse man. And it's reassuring to hear..plus you had a little communicator/angel with you!

[@lancelot1953]

Hi Brian Brown, great video and thank you for your courage and humility sharing your experience with the YT flying community. I apologize for some of the negative let alone ridiculous demeaning comments from some viewers that have no clue what it is to fly, face emergencies, and perform under the duress/stress you did. This is what I have answered to one such criticizing viewer, I asked him if:... he had ever made a mistake in his/her life? Ever been under duress/stress where he could not think straight? Whether he was a pilot, a medical expert, etc.? ... And no, while that deep snoring sound is not necessarily symptom of a "bad knockout", it may be increased intracranial pressure (ICP) as in "Biot's respiration pattern", or Cheyne-Stokes as in brain hypoperfusion, damage to the pons, the trachea, cervical spinal damage... You did great, you took care of the priorities (i.e. assessing and protecting your passengers, always better assume the worse instead of what "it is not". I have learned a few lessons from this video and made some changes to my "safety emergency kit" (and I am what the aviation community refers as a "pro"). Thank you for the information you gave us, fly safe, Ciao L

[@brianbrown2463]

lancelot1953 Thank you sir. The negative comments are the ones that scare me the most because they leave a perception that it can't happen to them because they are to smart, experienced or... There are a lot of poor assumptions made as well in regards to what happened due to how the video was put together and what people want to hear (human factors) which is bound to happen. Bottom line is that I sure wish I could do that day all over again and I hope even the negative comments learned something. My family is still flying and I do this safety presentation as a FAA safety representative. Thanks again!

[@strangerhorse5209]

Brian Brown: To me you still come across as cocky and arrogant. You had no business even being there with your 'I've been flying since I was sixteen', 30 plus years and 300 hours and I'm a rescue trained fire captain. You never admit to your ignorance and inexperience. Just my opinion. Now you enjoy the attention. I am a retired ER physician with 500 plus hours of MOUNTAIN FLYING across and up and down the Sierras in a sel 210 based in Northern Nevada and learned to fly in Van Nuys, Ca. I've been to Rome OR in a 172 (not in sandals and short pants) What were you thinking? I suggest you drive and not fly over to Georgetown Ca for a hamburger and find an instructor that will teach you how to fly in the mountains. And my last rant I save for you being a FAA 'safety' representative, when you are actually a hazard representative. If you are being paid you are still sucking off the government tit, yes? Nice talking to you, and I hope it saves your life someday. So what was the bill for your 'accident'? Get off and stay in western California please. Thanks, and maybe learn how start a fire, eh captain? I understand it helps with hypothermia...

[@calanpeet]

@@strangerhorse5209 I think I would rather die than be treated by a "doctor" like you Mr Strange Horse. I'm an Aerospace engineer and my wife's an MD and we think Brian has a better point than you.

[@strangerhorse5209]

C Alan Peet you are entitled to your opinion and you are a useless asshole. Like I care what Mr Space Cadet and his 'doctor' think. So what was your point anyway?

[@jeffdetwiler]

@stranger horse what an angry little troll you are. In your minds eye, your narcissistic drivel sounds like truth, when in reality it is your sad clamor for attention. I see you have thrown shade on several of the positive comments in this storyline. It is sad that you have nothing better to do with your time. @Brian Brown has given us all a valuable lesson in decision making and survival skills. I’ve only been in the sky 20 years and I’ve made mistakes that by the grace of God and a little intuition and seat time were able to be corrected before a certain lethal outcome. Thank you Brian for your honesty and humility.

[@Steamtramman719]

Before people start making unpleasant comments as a retired service/civilian pilot I would ask them what they would do? It is a pity how relatively few private pilots have an instrument rating; one of the first things you learn in the services and it is a life saver. But Brian has told it as it was and we should thank him for that.

[@billb.2673]

This was uploaded 5 years ago....I think it's a little late for you to say "before people start..."

[@chrisberg4952]

It's great to be Alive. So glad you survived.

[@hugnaba]

Grateful that this man shared this experience. And that he and family survived...and for the rescue folks...unless I missed it, thought an ELT was supposed to go off in case of a crash.....Hope they are all still doing well....

[@chrisfs150]

If you watched the video you would have seen that his elt was working and sending a signal correctly, but being sat in the bottom of a valley elt don't always get 100% signal out..

[@daveshangar6820]

Not trying to be a critic but I think I probably would have just returned home and put the airplane away for another day. This was a clear case of "get there itis," I was always taught in Private Pilot School that you always file a flight plan no matter what. No matter what. Lessons Learned Great video! Thanks for a great lesson. I'm so glad that you were all rescued.

[@nbt3663]

Your honesty was fantastic. I am sure you've helped others.

[@colinkinsey1663]

No matter how well you fly your plane,I believe these kind of problems could happen to anyone and does more often then not and I still believe Brian did his best to keep his family alive after the crash...Well done sir.!..

[@sarahwatson7692]

I know several pilots who have crashed in mountain terrain. One common theme is they flew into or over mountain terrain dressed as though they were going to a party-no survival gear, no way to make a fire among them, no commo. Each was found by sheer luck. If you fly over or around mountain terrain each flight must be planned and equipped as though you would be on the ground for several days-instead of reaching your destination. Fully charged communication devices, fire making tools, large tarps, cold weather clothing and sleeping gear, water, medical kit and more. People out west who should know better get into trouble every year when making long trips through remote areas dressed in street clothes and depending on the vehicle for protection from the elements. For some it is fatal.

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

Having the mtn clothes seems to be correlated w a lower likelihood of crashing. Thoughts?

[@kalayaskitchen]

Sarah yes yes yes and more yeses !!! Every time he looks in the mirror now he can read "Cessna" backwards

[@WoutervanTiel]

You never start a flight thinking you are going to crash. The little things keep adding up until it no longer works. The small things that did not get prepared for or the small and then larger changes in weather that can be very sudden. I found the weather is a BIG factor in how fast it can and will change on you. The longer your flight the less the weather will be accurate at your destination and in between. Brian even made two stops to evaluate further. Clearly he was cautious. In flight you can update weather from various sources, you may think you have a clear picture of it, but maybe you don't and it takes double and triple checking various sources and then making the best decision. All that, not from your armchair, but from the seat of a plane that you are aviating while figuring out whether the weather is acceptable. If you have any mission of a destination and or deadline it becomes very easy to make the wrong decision. I now ask myself "would I be flying here in these conditions if I was just doing a casual flight from my home airport to my home airport?" If the answer is a clear no then I should not be in the air. That just means you have "get there itis". Getting the mission done. In GA the mission is not even secondary it is just about the least important item, but we never see it that way when we are in the moment of action. I talk to very experienced pilots, even some who put together pilot scenarios for education, and even they fall to the idea of finding a hole in the clouds, of getting through the challenge and making it to the destination. In those situations it does not matter whether you have 300 or 3,000 or 30,000 hours. Gravity does not discriminate. You have to get it right and sometimes it is not easy. Thanks Brian for the post - another opportunity to learn and reinforce what we already know.

[@abdulrafay1509]

Sir you are very very brave person. It was not the medical pro instinct, it was a father and a husband trying to save his family, your daughter indeed is very brave lady. Fly safe sir ❤️🇵🇰

[@aligerous]

Great job by the dispatcher as well.

[@taketimeout2share]

From the years I have lived in a tent in a cold country I ALWAYS had two foil thermal blankets. They weigh next to nothing, are small and easy to wrap one self or others in. Every plane should always have these stowed. Lighting a fire is a complicated and risky procedure, especially when fuel is nearby. Preferable to heating up stones. Remember, two for each person. Be safe.

[@endwood]

I also carry two Foil thermal blankets, cost a few bucks, also good for attracting attention if the daylight.

[@drizler]

Go one better. Sportsman’s guide, surplus stores ect sell USArmy PONCHO They are nylon quilted thin weigh almost nothing and though not quite as small will be far superior to one of those space blankets. In fact buy a poncho too from surplus they make great shelters and are quite light. I’m not such a fan of those space blankets myself. I tried one on an army maneuver in N Carolina one night when it wasn’t even particularly cold. I woke up covered in freezing sweat far worse off than before so be careful of expectations with those things. Too bad we’d not been issued poncho liners. They really are that warm.

[@losmosquitos1108]

Brian, thanks for sharing your story! Thank you, Heather, for staying calm! Sending my love to you all from Uruguay. 👏♥️🇺🇾

[@lightlove37]

So much gratitude and respect to you, Brian, for choosing to share your experience in a way that is truly beneficial for our human community to learn from.

[@johnmohanmusic]

You might have saved my life and the lives of people I hold most dear. Thank you.

[@knurled1]

Well that's an epic story 😳

[@originaldylanbaxter]

Who down-votes these videos? I hope they are not pilots! These are valuable lessons and AOPA is providing them for FREE.

[@TheAirplaneDriver]

Brian, thanks for posting your story. Very well presented, lots of great information. As a CFI, I applaud your post flight analysis and how you honestly and openly presented the facts for the benefit of others. Says a lot about you as a person. I hope you realize that every pilot has been in a tight spot wishing they were anywhere but in the cockpit. Most of those tight spots safely end up in a “phew....I’ll never do that again” moment. Sadly, some get caught short as you did...or even worse. Ernie Gann’s book, “Fate is the Hunter”, is the seminal book on that very subject. I hope you’ve gotten back into the air and that you and your family are doing well.

[@haiwatigere6202]

Thanks Brian thanks for opening up .You are a lucky guy

[@ZILOGz80VIDEOS]

You can get some pretty in depth GPS apps on your phone. It has GPS chip just like the plane does which will work without a cell signal. Also, as those batteries come back up to operating temperature you can usually get it them to pick back up depending on the composition once the little microcontroller detects it's in operating temp again, so if you can stuff the device in your armpit or, and forgive the crassness, but your groin or buttocks and get it heated back up it will often work again once it makes it back to operating temp.

[@billbraske2894]

Thanks for your courage. Sharing this story will help many other pilots, and is admirable.

[@bighaasfly]

Wow. This one is a real tear jerker! Glad it all worked out!

[@olentangy74]

Thank you for telling your story, Brian. It was nice to watch an ASI episode with a happy ending. God was with you, my friend.

[@redpsycho90]

Amazing lucky guy! And brave to open up to his mistakes to teach others.

[@lanceanderson5826]

So glad you had just enough speed, after your dive, to be able to pull up, and get some effect, to mitigate your crash. Excellent work, great decision to purposely put it into a dive. I believe that saved your lives. :)

[@Elite7555]

It's really frightening how rapid weather can change.

[@marcbolland6992]

This video really got my emotions going, we all make mistakes and over estimate ourselves. Brian and Heather's calm along with the professionalism of the 911 dispatcher ensured a good outcome. 110% To Brian for sharing his honest thoughts and admissions to his failures. How many people have benefited from his frank and honest advise we will never know as only mishaps are reported. God bless you Brian and your family and may we all learn from you.

[@pattyochiai]

Thank you for sharing the story so some pilots may be able to save their lives...

[@icannotpretend5834]

14:15 I cried a lil here. Can really feel his emotions.

[@thejasonknightfiascoband5099]

Very, very glad that you and your family survived, sir!

[@Max50ww]

Same!

[@Max50ww]

Same

[@tatumhood3839]

Amazing story Brian. I hope you didn’t give up on GA. Your a great pilot and from the video a devoted father and husband.

[@brianbrown2463]

Tatum Hood -Thank you for the kind words. Yes my family and I are still flying, we own a Cessna 182 now and thoroughly enjoy it. I have also done much more training and definitely changed my disciplines in regards to flying. Thanks for watching!

[@RollieFingers59]

Kudos to you Brian for telling your story and hopefully saving some lives

[@priayief]

Wonderful story! Thanks.

[@jonathanpope81]

thanks Brian.tearing up! God bless your family and all involved.

[@shanerr7252]

Gee mate thats rough when you said your wife was in that condition i thought the same very good job looking after you girls mate

[@avoidingtrees560]

Happy they made it Cheers from the French alps us pilots

[@Surannhealz]

Great video. Nice to have happy ending for once. Good that the pilot was humble enough to be part of the video.

[@outabeat]

Holy crap, I went through this exact thing, except on board a sailing yacht in an unexpected gale. It was my ego and complacency. Thank God we all made it safely in the end.

[@billharmon2051]

Wow. Thank you for sharing Brian. I appreciate the courage that took. Idaho mountains can be very unforgiving. I actually used to fly out of Mountain Home back in 1987. I had heard stories at the airport of pilots getting "caught" in the mountains and crash on the side. One of them even told me he did it and crawled to a highway with broken legs so they could rescue his wife and kids. I have no reason not to believe him. After seeing Brian's story, it's all the more believable.

[@scottmcg666]

My favorite KZbin channel. You are providing a great service and making safer pilots everywhere.

[@clevername8832]

Hearing him describe his wife coming back to consciousness after the crash was pretty intense but I barely made it through the 911 call before getting all teary.

[@driftspecs13]

There are many life lessons I learned and practice to this day thanks to serving in the military, but one lesson I will never forget is the 7 P's: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Brian learned his lesson the hard way and he knows what he did wrong, but thinking of all that can go wrong when flying XC is a MUST, especially over mountainous terrain.

[@jeanburk9539]

I just finished listening to another video about a small plane getting socked in and going from airport to airport trying to land, he made it to two miles before the last chance, and crashed, killing himself. The military ATC didn't help. He didn't declare emergency as soon as he could have.

[@ur2c8]

A very lucky family.

[@danni1993]

Thank you, Sir, for sharing this remarkable story. I don't fly, but I ride my horse in the wilderness sometimes for 2 weeks straight (horse camping) and these tips/lessons are so helpful, even for me.

[@harpoon_bakery162]

I'm very surprised that they (the rescuers) determined that the daughter and wife were more serious than Brian's injuries? Just looking at the forehead and scars over the nose/brow it would seem to me that Brian was bleeding out all over (perhaps it was coagulated) but still those huge gashes had to look horrific to the rescuers. But I realize there were other injuries at play. Brian is a hero for keeping his family calm and being a rock in the family that they can lean on. What a family that he was able to save and be able to cherish and talk to the experiences to this day.

[@jennydiazvigneault5548]

So glad you made it. Nice to see a happy ending. Always have a flight plan. I generally follow VFR routes going through the mountains, even when using helicopters in half way decent conditions. My last flight saw the ceiling drop to about 300 feet in the passes pretty quickly and the temperature was close to 40 below when departing. I was happy to see the weather open up when I hit the larger valley on route. I always carry survival kits and heavy duty survival clothing until summer is upon us. I have lots of food before going anywhere.

[@GWMRed]

Joseph Howard I feel fortunate to live in Minnesota, where emergency rations, blankets, candles, etc. are second nature to automobile drivers in Winter...needless to say, that background reinforces some of the lessons here for we pilots.

[@commonsense31]

I have the upmost respect for this pilot, and also reflects on this traumatic experience. Thank you so much!

[@dhart8451]

Respect for what?? Being an idiot and risking the lives of his wife and daughter??

[@angleofattack]

What an amazing story! Wow!

[@atlasstrengthandpower1636]

What an incredible harrowing story! Thoroughly enjoyed this.

[@rogerturner5504]

Great story - great outcome - excellent lessons to be learned! For an injured and undoubtedly traumatised young girl, Heather did brilliantly!

[@amejaremy]

Thanks for sharing your mistakes! I'm a low time ppl and needed to watch this.

[@loopy7057]

Very good channel. These kinds of case studies are crucial for novice and experienced pilots alike.

[@davidanderson3586]

This a very emotional story but a beautiful one too. I can`t praise the family for their bravery and the emergency teams for their 100% commitment :-)

[@copperheadranch6466]

Thank you for telling your story Brian. I learned many things watching this.