Student Pilot SOLO has ENGINE FAILURE | Crashed and Survived near Waterbury, CT

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[@VASAviation]

Wishing a good and fast recovery to that student pilot!!

[@ShoalBear]

Hope she recovers quickly and fully! Any updates would be nice!

[@johnqdoe]

@@ShoalBear Local news coverage of the incident: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3zGpKSDdqymn5Isi=7p6faODwdDKRfVKz

[@angelinasouren]

A thought. Was she trying to avoid hitting power lines at that campground? (News report) Seems to me that they would have been low and not a factor in view of the fact that they are near that Waterbury strip. Just wondering.

[@kathrynslye471]

The trees are very tall at either end of 17-35 and it’s only about 1800’ of usable runway (bad bumps at the north end). It can be challenging for even us tailwheel pilots who are experienced at dropping into grass strips - I can only image how intimidating it must have been for a student solo pilot who has never landed on a short enclosed grass strip! She did a great job managing the descent and impact!

[@ShoalBear]

@@johnqdoe thank you!!

[@methridge]

Student pilot had better radio calls than 90% of pros on this channel.

[@HitechProductions]

👏

[@hackxy1165]

Well to be fair they are on this channel because they messed up lol

[@someguyontheinternet7165]

I’m approaching 400hrs and my coms aren’t always that good.

[@Ndub1036]

Including the many foreign pilots that fly heavies into bravos

[@peterscheffler1474]

Exactly. Even with panic in her voice, better than most people on the radio. She did a great job. Hope she comes out ok!

[@jake_]

From the news, she was taken to Waterbury Hospital. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening. I wish her a speedy recovery.

[@PetrolHeadBrasil]

Thank God!

[@DataRew]

Thank you for this update!

[@toadamine]

"minor injuries" not life threatening or permanently debilitating... "severe injuries" life threatening or permanently debilitating...

[@653j521]

@@toadamine Report from the scene what it looks like Report from the hospital what it really is.

[@WNCHIGH]

What a relief!

[@lykinsmotorsports]

She did great. You can see her speed the whole time, she kept it at around 68-70 knots, which is best glide speed for a 172. If the pilot is reading this, everyone is very proud of you and you did a great job.

[@wendymontie5660]

Absolutely! 💯

[@kentuckybowl-o-sticks]

As I always say: You can't will an aircraft to stay in the air... you're coming DOWN, act accordingly. Stall at the absolute minimum altitude possible if there are obstacles.

[@roykale9141]

We won't know the actual speed since that isn't airspeed.

[@tax54321]

Bro this is groundspeed..

[@saml6084]

No, she didn't do a great job. Not everyone is proud of her.

[@TeslaFamilyTravels]

American 2992 repeated those instructions as fast as he could to get off the radio.

[@davidmichael5573]

I noticed that from all the commercial traffic. They tried to be in out gone. Others should take a lesson here. You know there is an emergency going on stay off the radio as much as possible

[@AlyssaM_InfoSec]

Yep I noticed that too, great job of being aware and keeping the freq open as much as possible.

[@Godspeed224]

I was the Captain on AA2992. We heard it all as it happened and our hearts sunk. We all wish we could have done more to help her out, but she did great and survived.

[@justincase5847]

Yeah he did

[@peterscheffler1474]

@@Godspeed224❤

[@ghosttoast7]

this is my friend. She did an amazing job and I’m so proud of her. Many people would have not walked away from this. She’s doing ok! She will be back in the air soon:)

[@MrMegaMario64]

We’re all wishing her the best! I personally hope she continues after this and doesn’t let this deter her because she did as good as possible given the circumstance.

[@nicksantos1042]

speedy recovery to her! she did great! praying for her and her family. can only imagine the worry and stress right now.

[@sharpjs]

Please tell her how everyone in these comments is impressed by her coolness under extreme pressure. Her performance could be used as an example for other students to emulate. If, in a few years, I hear that voice announcing something on a commercial flight I'm on, I will know I'm in good hands.

[@Matt-mo8sl]

Tell your friend that this pilot from Maine is wishing her a speedy recovery and for her to get right back in the saddle again as soon as possible. I've been down myself so I know what that's like. She calmed herself and followed the golden rules of flying, aviate, navigate, communicate and she came out alive. The airplane can be replaced. She can't. God bless, young lady. You did great.

[@jsanc623_]

Her ability to stay calm under pressure, means that she has a good head on her shoulders and would be a beneficial addition to the airspace. Please let her know that I and everyone else here in these comments wishes her a speedy recovery, and a quick shaking-off of post-crash nerves and hopefully seeing her in the skies again soon. She's earned her wings, in a way, in my book.

[@22echomike]

To keep her comms on point like that as a solo under pressure was amazing!

[@LadyLithias]

I've heard "professional" pilots who are incapable of this level of communication.... and to do it under stress .... shows the quality of her character.

[@kaasmeester5903]

Yeah, she started out saying she was panicking but she collected herself very quickly. I also noted the tower followed up that transmission with "trim for best glide": get her mind back on her training and on flying the aircraft.

[@MichaelSteeves]

@@kaasmeester5903 Recognizing that you are panicking is the first step towards getting under control. She just stated it.

[@flutetubamorg]

Really was very good comms

[@josephking6515]

Wasn't the controller an APP Controller and yeah he did an incredible job too. Congratulations to the professionalism of the other pilots who had to communicate on the frequency during this time. Excellent job guys. 👍

[@arnelilleseter4755]

"I am panicking." Well, she could have fooled me. She seemed calm considering the stressfull situation. Keeping it together under pressure is an important skill for a good pilot. Hope she makes a full recovery and that this experience doesn't discourage her from flying again.

[@CheatOnlyDeath]

Amazing she kept it together well enough to say that. "Superman isn't brave... Superman is indestructible... It's people.. who can be crushed and know it. Yet they keep on going out there." (Angus movie ). Bravery is knowing you're panicking, dealing with it, doing what has to be done. Nothing to prove to anyone after that. Best wishes. Whatever she does, she's a very strong person and poised for success.

[@JeremyEllwood]

I was thinking all of this!

[@harryweiss2013]

Acknowledging you're panicking is the first step to calming down! Good for her for verbilizing it

[@maanmohammad8459]

Lol Just what I thought.Where is the panic?

[@TIGERMOTH3]

From a retired Marine Aviator. I could sense from voice inflection this young lady was in control of a bad situation. Locating an unknown grass strip is at best difficult! Should you follow an aviation career, and I hope you do, your call sign will be: ICE LADY.

[@oldoldbikebiker]

Student pilot solo, engine failure looking for a grass strip and 'panicking right now'. Good grief, some of the best aviating, navigating and especially communicating that I've ever heard, Makings of a truly great pilot. I wish her well. Credit too to ATC and other pilots helping out. Nice to see an example of humanity at its best...

[@jsgolden]

Her ability to slow her speech down, remain as calm as possible, listen to instructions from the controller and the other pilot. Pretty impressive

[@Benis650]

This student pilot and the ATC both did a great job! I hope she recovers smoothly.

[@AviationJeremy]

Everyone did the best that they possibly could. The student came painfully close to making it. With unknown winds plus turns, her glide ratio wasn’t bad, and she was primarily hamstrung by looking for an unfamiliar patch of grass amidst a bunch of trees. Maybe she made mistakes, but she absolutely did her best. I wish her clear skies and following winds on her path to recovery. The Skyhawks that chased her down was magnificent for calling out the turns and doing the best he could to give guidance, then giving critical information to controllers. Very well done to the controller who did the best he could to calm and vector her, even reminding her to trim for best glide. I get the impression that he has flying experience. Kudos even to American who seemed intent on not cluttering the frequency.

[@Jonathan906]

That patch of grass did not look at all like an airport to my untrained eye. I wonder whether the pilot saw it and didn't realize at first it was the airport she was looking for.

[@kevo31415]

@@Jonathan906 I know ATC said it was a grass strip but in the moment (especially since it was only mentioned once) who knows if it was heard or processed. Her mind is trying to do a million things a minute and probably looking for asphalt. Glad she made it down and great professionalism all around.

[@Jonathan906]

@@kevo31415 Agreed. That's a good point. I also have to say that I did not see the air strip when the video showed a photo of it. I saw what I thought was a big park, and I was looking around it in the surrounding area to try and see an airstrip and I wasn't seeing. I'm not a pilot. Maybe a pilot would see it sooner than I did. I just know that I didn't see it at first, and it took me a while to catch on.

[@Middcore]

@@Jonathan906 My brain would definitely not have processed that as a grass airstrip at first, just looks like an irregularly-shaped "grassy area" in the photo. If she had just thought "I need to find a patch of grass big enough to put the plane down" she might have even picked it on that basis, but I think her brain was locked into finding something that looks like an "airfield." To be clear, this is not a criticism of her at all, her radio communications seemed exemplary and she got very close to getting down safe, she couldn't have done much better under the circumstances and many people would have done worse.

[@kalamageo]

When a controllers first words are "pitch for best glide....yeah...he's a pilot

[@chrisbunn674]

When she asked ATC for a vector to fly I cheered!! So smart of her and beyond her experience. Bravo kiddo!!

[@cliveramsbotty6077]

kiddo? it's a woman, don't patronise

[@cristianvelasquez4211]

@@cliveramsbotty6077 Shut your mouth dude. It is an expression and even a positive one. There is always someone.

[@Trissb1988--]

@@cristianvelasquez4211 Triggered.

[@cristianvelasquez4211]

@@Trissb1988-- What a dumb comment to make.

[@nickelplateroad4267]

@@cliveramsbotty6077it’s not uncommon for older adults to refer to young adults (late teens/early 20s) as kids. It has nothing to do with gender

[@rudiklein]

She is a hell of a competent pilot. Her communication was amazing. Even the "I'm panicking." sounded professional and in control. Really too bad she crashed so close to the runway.

[@Mark-EFMB-Combat-Medic]

"...Even the "I'm panicking." sounded professional and in control..." Indeed, this young lady pilot is incredible.

[@soccerguy2433]

no it didn't. it sounded paniced

[@atubebuff]

That low-speed low-altitude final turn is often the cause of sudden drops in altitude. Also sounds like the plane possibly ran out of fuel or the the tanks needed switching.

[@Ryan_Thompson]

@@soccerguy2433 Well, duh, she literally says she's panicked. Showing some emotion is not the opposite of "professional", in fact it's the mark of a true professional who can self-assess their emotional state, realize they are panicked, *concisely* communicate that to the controller helping them, and then get on with flying the plane while continuing to communicate her needs. Everybody panics sometimes. Not everyone (and certainly not all student solos) can panic and navigate their way to an unknown airport with a blown engine and almost make the runway. I hope she recovers fully and quickly and keeps flying.

[@KB3AOL]

@@soccerguy2433 Troll much?

[@BunnyRaptor]

The controller sounded so defeated after the other pilot said she went down in the trees. He was probably anticipating the worse. Glad she survived.

[@WebWolf89]

Looks like he left his post at the end, another controller talking to N12180.

[@BunnyRaptor]

@@WebWolf89 that's true I notice that now

[@taylorhardy6362]

I think that’s procedure after a crash.

[@austinformedude]

For a student pilot she did an amazing job utilizing all of her resources. I have no doubt she will make a great pilot once she recovers.

[@bittnerbs]

“Im freaking out, man!” “Okay, just stay calm.” Good job to the student. It’s my worst fear as a CFI, and we work on engine failures and fires a lot prior to solo.

[@deekamikaze]

"You are freaking out... MAN"

[@angelinasouren]

Very good that she said out loud "and I am panicking now". That is a good way to handle it. Observe and label your feelings, rather than fight them and risk having them overwhelm you if you think you can't shelve them for later. Very zen. Pity that she was over the grass strip before she knew it. I hope she makes a speedy recovery and will be a up for her next solo soon. I feel sorry for her. She handled it so well. Time ran out.

[@96LS1S10]

​@@deekamikazethe snozzberries taste like snozzberries! 🤪

[@seth_alapod]

Tough one to listen to. She got so close to making it straight in, but just couldn't get it in sight first time around. Not surprising given the high stress situation and the unfamiliarity with the airstrip. Kudos to ATC for great service. Hope she pulls through.

[@AviationJeremy]

Plus, she’s looking for green in the middle of a different shade of green.

[@andyasdf2078]

@@AviationJeremy I was about to say this exact thing. It doesn't look like the most visible thing, and describing it as an 'airport' was a bit of an overstatement tbh

[@spamlessaccount]

@@andyasdf2078 Plus it didn't really look like a typical grass strip - more of an x-shaped splotch.

[@QemeH]

@@spamlessaccount I think that's the biggest thing. ATC did describe it as a grass strip, but if you're not familiar with the site, you're looking right over this thinking "can't be that, not runway shaped" instinctively...

[@kaiyotech]

@@QemeH For sure. Look for the area that's vaguely shaped like a runway if you squint and has a few less tress than the rest of the area. Looking for anything "airport" isn't gonna find it.

[@bjornlillpers498]

Identifying a grass strip can be hard enough even in completely normal conditions. She did as good as anyone could hope for in the circumstances. Hope for a speedy recovery!

[@NovaPolitte]

Definitely. There's almost no chance in hell I'd have visually picked out that as an "airport" as a student pilot, especially in a high-pressure situation.

[@dabneyoffermein595]

wasnt there any other options sooner?

[@DarrenBush]

It looks a lot like a small golf course from Google maps. Anyone could miss it.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

You can watch her flightpath on FR24. Looking at the satelite map, I think it is totally understandable that she did miss the airfield on her first approach. It's not easy to spot if you don't know what to look for. Especially considering the angle she approached it at first. It was on her right side so that's harder to spot from her point of view. Edit: I tried this myself in MSFS just now and VR. Even though I knew what was coming and in what direction the airfield was, I missed it just as she did and only saw it after leaning over to the right side spotting it below me. And I only knew that it was there because the G1000 told me that I was right above it. So under the circumstances she did the best she could.

[@DataRew]

She kept her shit together SO WELL. I cannot IMAGINE losing an engine on a student solo, and she did so well.

[@flywithmike6904]

I would like to commend the pilot of N12180 for doing everything he could to try and help the student pilot make a safe landing at Waterbury. Lining up for landing on a hard-to-spot grass strip with no engine as a student pilot solo is NOT an easy task and many experienced pilots probably also would have struggled. Thankfully the pilot of N78445 survived with non-life-threatening injuries and is planning to get back in the air soon (the best decision). She will make an excellent pilot once she completes her training.

[@KennethAGrimm]

Two genius moves: "Mayday-Mayday-Mayday" and "Can you advise a heading?" Yes, I know people here will reply "That's not genius, it is basic stuff", but for a student solo, to remember to say what help she needed that early and that clearly was way beyond what many decades-experienced private pilots have done.

[@deew7014]

Agree she did a great job , I’ve watched and heard many pilots on here wait too long to Mayday and ask for help . Hope she is doing well

[@ryanbradley2875]

Spot on! I was so glad to hear her call mayday. Asking for the heading was brilliant as well. You can tell she is a student who is focused on learning and understanding the "why" behind things.

[@AAAskeet]

I thought she did fantastic.Mayday right away.Not afraid of paperwork or the FAA.Realized and conveyed to controller that she was flustered.Admitted no joy on runway several times.Asked for heading when unsure.Total pro.

[@SenorCrazylegs]

She was panicking and grasping atc for help. That is not smart. No one can help you but you when your engine is failed.

[@virginiaviola5097]

You’re right, she did so much better than many seasoned pilots have done. She didn’t stall, she didn’t spin, she almost made it if not for the trees.

[@toastno6]

My god her composure was practically super human. Her comms really could not have been better! If that’s how she handles herself as a solo student pilot she’s going to make a phenomenal professional pilot if she chooses to follow that path. Everyone here did an amazing job but she should be immensely proud of how she handled it. The outcome may not have been perfect but New England is a very scary place to be engine out. I hope she gets back up in the air soon!

[@josephking6515]

*Phenomenal.* *Thank you* for such an appropriate word for this situation.

[@BruiserFL]

That student pilot has better radio skills than a lot of seasoned pilots. She did great. Speedy recovery to her.

[@mbsaxman600]

Hope she’s okay with no permanent injuries. Kudos to the folks that did their best to help.

[@sonoftherepublic9792]

Extreme poise by the student pilot. I pray she recovers quickly and enjoys huge success with future aviation endeavors or whatever she chooses to do with her life. She has the Right Stuff.

[@Spyke-lz2hl]

If prayer was real, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

[@jetfrostgaming]

​@@Spyke-lz2hl Ah yes and we would all glide through life with no challenges. Keep it to yourself would ya?

[@mbruce2106]

Prayer is real, God (Jesus Christ) is real, and so is His (our) adversary. You should do some thorough research on it sometime by reading the Bible. Interesting stuff. None-the-less, life happens, engines quit, and she lived praise God!

[@josephking6515]

As @jetfrostgaming said, *_Keep it to yourself would ya?_* We don't all need a make believe sky fairy as a crutch.

[@_al1k_]

The fear in the other pilots voice just before the plane crashed 😬 Kudos to him and wishing the pilot a good recovery

[@QemeH]

Yeah, the "pitch for best glide" definitively got a bit panicked at the end. He probably saw that she was too low already...

[@SlyAceZeta]

From the radar display, it looks like she had a sudden descent right at that point, probably slammed into a tree and then flipped from there. Thank goodness she survived it without life-threatening injuries, I hope she recovers quickly and easily.

[@MDSFamily]

Get that gal healthy and back in the air. She is far more impressive that most long time pilots I’ve encountered. You did great, heal up fast.

[@Idk38382username]

She did exceptionally well. Grass strips are not the easiest to spot. Add the panicking on top of that, won’t be easy. She did everything right, she kept her coms clear and made her intentions clear. Hope she recovers quickly.

[@milesaharrison]

Absolutely, the photo in the video doesn't show how well it stood out on the day in question. It could have been far more overgrown and less obvious than the satellite image suggests!

[@cwhitty05]

Well done! Declared the mayday immediately, other best glide speed, and she kept it together mentally. That’s a very tough scenario for a student pilot trying to glide into a grass strip she couldn’t see until the last minute. I’m glad she survived!

[@dukeofrodtown1705]

Wishing her a speedy recovery! Well done to N12180 and ATC for their assistance

[@Aran2323]

Oof. Glad she's alive. The grass strip probably made it harder for her to find. Even though the controller said it was grass, she may not have processed that and been looking for a paved runway, making it harder for her to find until she was right on top of it.

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

It may also be that the strip wasn't in the best of shape. Private unmarked and unlit grass airstrips at the beginning of the season can't be easy to spot.

[@PaulLoveless-Cincinnati]

That's exactly what I am thinking.

[@AeroGraphica]

That crossed my mind too

[@soccerguy2433]

Witnesses said the pilot was helped from the downed plane by a maintenance worker at the campground. The pilot was injured and was taken to a hospital.

[@Habu12]

Buy N12180 a drink, he also did a hell of a job. Coming from a pilot that had this exact same thing happen when I was a student..great job, under the circumstances. There's much to learn here.

[@fritzcolburn]

"I'm panicking" Sure as hell didn't sound like it. Wish her a speedy recovery.

[@DarrenBush]

Yep, she got out the "I'm panicking" and then got back to business of flying the airplane. Totally reasonable.

[@Eddyspeeder]

RESPECT. Everyone did an exemplary job. I hope the pilot recovers soon and will overcome her trauma and pick up flying again. Because she's got what it takes, and being low on final doesn't change that one bit. She did a perfect job on the radio. While staying on point in her comms, adding "...and I AM panicking" was exactly the right information to the ATC, who did an impeccable job providing guidance and solace. The pilot offering assistance did a great job stepping in and going the extra mile, and the others staying quiet did an important job as well. Seriously, if this video doesn't restore your faith in aviation, I don't know what will.

[@ajs1691]

Exactly this ^^^. The following, pilot giving her the turns,on approach, ATC 'best glide' etc, AA clearing the frequency asap, and this amazing student pilot!! This should be used in training for all students. I'm sending her every good wish for a full recovery and many, many happy hours flying in future.

[@ehnathanael]

So emotional listening to this. Wishing speedy recovery to the student pilot and thank you to ATC and the 180.

[@nate7803]

What a bummer. The job of a CFI to not delay training but also ensure a student has the skills to deal with these situations must be so hard. She made the airport but it seems like her pattern was too long. Either way she did a great job of getting there and asking for help. I really hope she recovers quickly and still wants to fly afterwards.

[@bittnerbs]

This video will affect change in how I teach. At some point toward the end of PPL training, we land on a grass strip. I think I’ll start demonstrating that much earlier. The other thing is that it looked like a tight place to land if you have an engine out and you’re high, which she was in the beginning. This encourages me to teach forward slips to landing earlier as well.

[@kaiyotech]

@@bittnerbs I think a scenario of "simulate engine out, find your nearest landing location and point it out to me" or "there's a grass strip 2 miles ahead and between 10 and 2, identify it as soon as possible" would've helped her a bunch. She just couldn't see the grass strip amongst the trees until she'd used up a bunch of altitude looking and circling.

[@josephking6515]

Also point out the potential danger of sideslips with the various stages of flap on a high wing aircraft. My apologies if you had already considered that. An effective technique can become a lazy habit over time and can bite really hard when not expecting it.

[@GetOutsideYourself]

So intense. She did great. I hope she recovers and gets back up there.

[@GaryFalcon411]

🤡

[@HEDGE1011]

The student pilot may have thought she was panicking, but she held it together really well under the circumstances, and I wish her a speedy recovery and a much less challenging future in aviation. Kudos to the controller; he was exactly what she needed and was invaluable. I also appreciated the pilot of N12180 observing and helping from above. I’m proud of everyone involved.

[@FaFaFohie]

Although she told ATC she was panicking, she stayed remarkably calm with her radio calls. May she go on to have a speedy recovery and fly again soon.

[@Boodieman72]

Smart student pilot in saying they are student solo on contacting ATC. They did an amazing job.

[@legionnairegonk4425]

This can't be easy for ATC reps emotionally... Total respect for them and their work.

[@kathrynslye471]

I fly into Waterbury regularly. If you are not familiar with it and are not used to spotting small grass strips it can be very hard to distinguish from the surrounding forest as an airport. It’s on top of a hill and has tall trees all around it. There are actually two short runways 02-20 and 17-35.

[@Derkiboi]

Thanks for the insights. I do see that Cross runway

[@aengberg1]

I really felt for her - she sounded so young but kept her head admirably under incredible stress. Wishing her a speedy recovery.

[@amg2022]

I don’t know why but whenever I was these solo student engine out videos it makes me tear up.

[@mendel5106]

The ATC controller is calm, helpful and cheering her on. Thankfully she had the presence of mind to declare that she is a student pilot and needs all the help she can get.

[@arkiefyler]

Still remember my basic pilot training back in 1967. Very first airborne exercises were to look for an emergency landing area. Basic engine scan started and ended with that landing spot. Unfortunately, in the middle of Connecticut, trees dominate! Great job for ATC, but they can't always find you a place to land in an emergency, that's on the pilot. Sounds like the student did her best in this situation: keep flying, even if it is just to the crash site. 👍👏

[@metallica2500]

In the beginning, don’t you think instead of telling her considering she had an engine out with 10 miles to the closest airport in front of her that the tower should’ve said just keep your eyes open look for any roads or flat open areas you can put her down, but instead he kept reiterating airports that are far from The capabilities of the glideslope and regards to her elevation, I understand that he told her about Waterberry eventually. I think the other pilot was far more help than the tower and I also understand the tower was extremely busy with other traffic.

[@ValNishino]

@@metallica2500 If the engine was still generating some power then she might have made it. Until he knows the engine has failed completely he wouldn't want to tell a student solo to put it down off-field. The controller isn't flying your plane and doesn't know everything about what's going on with it. As for why he didn't give Waterbury right off the bat, well, look what happened when she tried to land there.

[@metallica2500]

@@ValNishino point taken. I have a question that maybe you can answer, once a pilot calls out a Mayday is there generally cross talk that’s going on or do they usually clear any cross talk for that pilot with the Mayday going on?

[@HalfShelli]

If I ever find myself in a life or death situation like that, I hope I "panic" half as calmly as she did! Wishing a quick and full recovery to the pilot. ❤️

I am a PPL student and I had tears in my eyes when I heard her panicking. so glad she made it

[@AlyssaM_InfoSec]

That was some seriously ice in the veins flying by this pilot. I mean she said she was panicking at one point but damn her comms were on point, she flew it all the way in and from the sounds of things she's going to be alright and hopefully will fly again soon. Great stuff, great support by ATC, and 180 doing his best to help as well.

[@ironman2536]

Wishing this student pilot a speedy recovery from this Flight Instructor. Sounds like this student pilot has gotten some outstanding flight training. Key things to remember in situations such as this: "Fly the airplane first, then navigate, then communicate." I know the approach control was trying to be helpful in pointing out airports in different directions but the student pilot did an awesome job staying focused on everything.

[@UnshavenStatue]

6:54 "we're uh contacting everybody we can right now"

[@unitydev457]

nerves of steel on that student pilot. She kept calmer than 99% of humans would in an emergency scenario. I bet in her head she is beating herself up for not seeing waterbury and then being overtop of it but she did such a great job maintaining flight and remaining calm and doing her best, I hope she doesn't get too in her head about that. she did everything perfectly. if it was a grass field that can be hard to spot on a good day in clear conditions with a calm mind.

[@Travisrogers87]

That “and I am PANICKING” was so relatable. Nice job, student. Heal well!

[@GWNorth-db8vn]

Saying it can prevent it. Gives the brain something else to do.

[@dontarguewithidiots7459]

She was very calm, wonderful assistance from ATC and fellow pilots. God bless I hope she's able to make a full recovery

[@spamlessaccount]

Hope she comes out if it OK. For a "panicking" solo, she handled herself extremely well.

[@peekerskate999]

This was so hard to listen to, I’m also a student pilot at an airport nearby. Heartbreaking.

[@PM-mm3pz]

I mean she lived and did a great job...so heart breaking?

[@peekerskate999]

@@PM-mm3pz just heartbreaking to hear the panic in her voice. Thank god she’s alive.

[@roderickcampbell2105]

A brave and strong pilot. And she had very good people doing everything they could help. Best wishes to her and her "team".

[@autopilotairborne]

This reminds me of Maggie. Brave to both the girls!

[@Screamblade_]

Fantastic work by the pilot!! Making sure ATC knows their skill level and not avoiding help. Hecking perfect that they recognised the saturation on them..... Dang they really couldn't have done anything better imo... (not a pilot, just a fan of avation)

[@foobarmaximus3506]

This is why we practice engine out so so many times with the instructor before going solo. She did the best she could. Hope she has a quick and perfect recovery.

[@Kbear9762]

Great teamwork by ATC and the other pilot trying to guide her in. Here’s wishing her. A speedy recovery.

[@claudest-gelais8456]

I'm glad she wasted very little time using the Mayday call, then anyone jumped to help her early and as best they could. She was remarkably professional in her communications given she was just a student. Not the outcome I was hoping for, but she's still alive. The ATC was great to calm her down and she collected herself very quickly.

[@jimrossi4787]

My heart goes out to this student pilot. I really admire her ability to overcome the anxiety of the emergency so that she could aviate, navigate, and communicate. Finding a grass strip that you aren't familiar with can be difficult in the best of conditions. ATC did such a great job giving guidance and support... very calm and reassuring. Well done. Wishing that pilot a quick and complete recovery. ❤

[@Acrowat40]

Damn - that was emotional.... Kinda shame the ATC couldn't immediately hand off other traffic to someone else and allow him to exclusively focus on her. Appreciate some pilots picked up on the situation and kept to minimum chat.

[@travismull944]

She was doing so good. Prayers for a quick recovery.

[@ifiwereme]

I don't think anyone could've done better under the same circumstances. She's amazing! Wish I could tell her that.

[@r4raced4doom2]

Hope she makes a quick recovery and gets back in the air!

[@michaelbennett22]

I hope she continues her training. This was a huge learning experience, even if it did not end well. She will make a great pilot.

[@letarogers6380]

She had some excellent training! Well done! When I was a 16-year old student pilot, the radio stopped working when I was heading back to my home airport (LGB) on the last leg of my 150 nm cross country. I was about 10 nm out and over the LAX corridor. I entered the pattern, scanning for traffic like mad, and looked at the tower for a light signals when abeam. Didn't see any, so I just landed. My flight instructor called the tower for me, then told me, "If that happens again, just toggle the radio on and off and a few times. The radio should start working again." Didn't fly again for 6 years. I did end up getting my certificate in the end.

[@martijnspacegrapes7576]

She did amazing. How calmly she said she was panicking. Wishing her a fast recovery.

[@airplanegeek893]

I love being part of the aviation community where we always try to help each other as best we can. Great job all who tried their best in this incident. Praying this brave young lady a speedy recovery.

[@jensdewaele465]

The worst nightmare for every pilot. Hope she will recover soon!!!

[@spamlessaccount]

...and instructor...and ATC.

[@adrianhenle]

That was about the calmest, most composed "I'm panicking" I've ever heard

[@elias4214]

Just hoping that she will fully recover and be back to flying, the world needs more pilots like this. ❤

[@bucc5062]

It's all been said, but I want to add this along with how good her communications were, after the mayday, the best thing she said was "I'm panicking" in a way that was not out of control, but and honest statement. Saying and hearing the ATC response was huge in her almost making it. I absolutely feel it is okay to say, out loud, how one is feeling in these moments, because it gets it out to deal with and it lets those trying to help better know what the mental condition of the pilot is at the moment. After she said that her voice was calmer, she listened and reacted and responded better and as it was not a normal"airport" she may have made a dead stick landing. We should not try to contain the fear, instead address it then keep working the issue, My first flight to Sanford Airport I could not see the damn thing at first. I am thankful she lived and like others hope she'll get back to learning after recovery. This is a person with character and she will do well.

[@nicholasbutler153]

One of the best things she did was to admit she was panicking. It let ATC know that she needed simple, specific instructions and that she would struggle to follow anything more complicated. She got them and they got her close enough to a safe landing spot that she survived.

[@loveistheonlyword]

So many great and supportive comments on this page. I saw this featured on other pages and there were so many negative comments about the pilot and I could not believe it. She did an amazing job.

[@vne147]

You were confronted with an unexpected, terrifying, life or death situation, and all the while you remained calm, rational, communicated effectively, and even had the presence of mind to ask the controller to contact Poughkeepsie tower (I assume your home airport). Managing your glide to make an emergency landing field, when it is possible at all, is a skill that can be taught and one that will get better with experience. The qualities and ability you demonstrated during this emergency can't be taught. Someone either has them, or they don't. You 100% have what it takes to become an excellent professional pilot. Speedy recovery and good luck to you during the remainder of your training.

[@KrikkitWarlord]

Really hope she recovers, did pretty well considering! Fly safe out there students.

[@johnnybugattisr.9558]

She did Amazing and walked away to tell her story. Kudos to ATC and 180 and all of the first responders involved in this accident. Wish a speedy recovery to this young lady.

[@WHBVERDE69]

She is going to be a great pilot! Wishing a speedy recovery and hats off to you!

[@scapilot1980]

Tough listen. Always hard to hear student pilots in these predicaments but I feel like she handled it better than others with certificates would have. My only burning question was if there was a farmers field that would have been more suitable in this situation. I know it's atc's job to assist in finding a suitable airport to land at, but in this case (especially after seeing it was a 2k foot grass strip hidden in trees) I think it would have been more to her advantage to try to just find an odd airport landing sight to put it down in. Time compression and fixation are a real thing in these scenarios and you just hate to hear the outcome. Hoping she makes a speedy recovery and gets back in the saddle as soon as she's well! Great job by all involved.

[@geekmug]

Green Acres Airport (CT96) is a private asphalt runway that was 2NM in front her when she was turned to N41 by ATC. It's not charted, so I'm not sure if ATC knows about it. The airport is FAA registered, so it seems like ATC should know about it. In any case, I found it by looking for a good field to land in. So, I agree, trying to stretch your glide over a forest was not ideal, and it's likely that ATC has no idea what the terrain looks like, so I would use eyes over ears when you are so close to the ground.

[@AshKast]

Get well soon, student pilot.

[@zhaoluyue1995]

Good luck for the pilot!

[@lowcountryjeeper]

This was an amazing thing to listen too. The calmness of the pilot and ATC is awesome. Great work to all involved.

[@davidgraham7932]

Superb work from the pilot in difficult circumstances. And amazing work from the controller and that pilot who did his best to come help. Glad she wasn't seriously injured.

[@johnopalko5223]

She did a really, really good job. Wishing her a speedy recovery. I hope this doesn't sour her on flying.

[@cenccenc946]

Direct and to the point communication, "I'm freaking out".

[@gronki1]

Poor student. She did amazing. Hope for full recovery and return to flying!

[@user-xc5xv4uu9o]

Wow God Bless all of these folks. The student pilot did a GREAT job on the radio and navigated at an unimaginably scary time. The controllers were calm, cool, and collected and very helpful. The spotter pilot did all he could to be helpful without adding to the chaos. I am so glad that she will make a recovery. Thanks to all involved for their wonderful efforts.

[@BouillaBased]

Well, that's one way to build confidence early in your training. She did an amazing job and I wish her a speedy recovery.

[@callumwatson6685]

12180 did a great job trying to help. I hope he doesn’t blame himself for her not making the strip. Good work on her part as well

[@fuhkerz]

I kind of wonder.. it sounded like she was responding to him saying not to worry with flaps yet with sort of "I'm not about to try to land on a 2000ft runway without flaps" (transmission was a bit unclear/cut off there I think). Makes me wonder if maybe she did put them in too early and/or lost a bit of altitude while messing with the flap lever and that caused her to come up short. Not to take anything away from her, she did amazing considering the circumstances. I just always wonder if there was something that could have potentially produced a better outcome a la Pilot Debrief.

[@Valisk]

Tough listen at the end there. Best wishes and speedy recovery.

[@SierraTangoGuns]

She did pretty damn good as a student pilot solo that, by her own words, was panicking. She kept her communication on point and fought for every last second of time and every foot of altitude and distance. Sucks she ended up crashing but you can't win 'em all. I hope she has a speedy recovery and is able to get back in that seat.

[@BeefyGame]

The way she handled herself as a solo student in a life-threatening emergency, extremely impressive. If I were the airlines, I would hire her in a heartbeat when she does get her ATPL

[@os1usnr]

Was thinking the same thing.

[@chris-hayes]

Wow, this is like a town over from where I live. Hearing about this incident from VAS first! I hope she has a speedy recovery and is able to get back to flying, she definitely has the stuff!

[@davideg1001dg]

How inspirational from everyone especially the student pillot