Trapped Above the Ice

FREE: You can get the entire program this video is excerpted from, called Real World Coast to Coast, at no charge here: www.pilotworkshop.com/free-tr...
Caught above the clouds at 13,000 feet, this pilot got into a bonafide emergency situation and it was all caught on his GoPro camera. Watch the series of events that led him here and the bold maneuver he used to escape. More...
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[@Fluedix]

Does anyone know where I can find the full length video of this?

[@PilotWorkshops]

pilotworkshop.com/free-training/ This video is part of a program called Real World Coast to Coast which is now available for free.

[@Fluedix]

@@PilotWorkshops thank you

[@CuratedPile]

@@PilotWorkshops Full disclosure, I haven't watched this YT video, however, I just finished the Real World Coast to Coast course last week. And I just finished the IFR Mastery scenario that was based on this flight. For me, this was an exceptionally good display of terrible decision making from a very good decision maker who was 1) under pressure to get home, 2) exhausted and 3) almost certainly hypoxic. It was terrifying to watch, even when knowing the outcome. I strongly recommend this free course for this flight (buried at the end in the bonus content) alone. It really shows how insidious a worsening situation can be. The indecisiveness that gripped Keith at the critical moments could have had a much more severe outcome. Thanks for sharing!

[@Freightdog330]

I admire the fact that the pilot shared this experience with us, it's a great eye opener. And for all those "experts" including actual pilots and arm chair pilots, I wonder whether if they had been through all of this, they would be ready to post their video online. So give the guy some slack, he admitted in making a mistake to the point that he posted it here for everyone to watch and learn. That takes guts. Thanks again for posting

[@PilotWorkshops]

Thank you. This video shows how situations can deteriorate in real life and how a good pilot has tools to manage them. You may not do everything the same way. You may not even make the decision to go. But this video should make you think, and through that analysis you are more prepared when the tough situations occur.

[@benjamind7290]

I've been in a similar situation myself. We loaded up ice on approach and the situation got pretty tense with prop ice, wing ice, and little margin to the big rocks below. When we landed my wife nearly divorced me on the spot. It's not something that can be easily understood from the comfort of your average cager's personal experience.

[@kevinfreitas2107]

It’s hangar pilot and armchair quarterback

[@YouTube.TOM.A]

Airliners with all the sophisticated icing equipment onboard are still not all weather certified. Sometimes they have the good sense to cease operation and stay on the ground. Believe what you want about me but this is a serious cause of fatalities each year.

[@davem5333]

Pilot is lucky he lived to write about it.

[@mike_oe]

8:23 ATC: "...do you need assistance?" Great controller!!!

[@Rh92887]

I agree! Either they're trained to speak up when they see a situation deteriorating or the controller has seen enough pilots hesitant to ask for help. Either way, that controller was a class act.

[@Zach.3246]

Read this as soon as ATC said that

[@captlarry-3525]

1. I appreciate the opportunity to watch this video ! 2. I refuse to bash the pilot who was brave enough to make his errors and his solutions public. It doesn't take a high performance airplane to get into this situation. All it really takes is a little change in the temperature dew point spread, or reliance on a bad forcasts. A slavish reliance on a plan would have made this even worse.. Two days ago I set out on a 325 mile trip from N to S Cal. 48 hours of weather watching, briefings, and planning all said everything was a GO.12 minutes in I did a 180 and went back where I came from... Faced with an unforcast but not too surprising 100 plus miles of VFR on top, with a basic panel and no IFR rating.. there was no other option for ME and my aircraft. For others a let down through a 500 foot cloud deck would barely matter.Add ICE and it's a whole new ball game.

[@jennydiazvigneault5548]

A former student of mine, who became a college instructor, recently crashed and died. It was weather related. We have all been there but as much as possible I just remember there is always tomorrow. The best way to avoid a bad situation is to not get into it. Call me a coward, I don't care. Safety first. I admire this pilot for sharing his experience so others can learn. Glad he made it home safely.

[@thebassplayer4968]

As a student/grounds crewman at the small airport I worked at and flew out of, I learned a lot of advice from many pilots, including a few quotes. One being; "Better to be on the ground wishing you were 'up there', then to be 'up there' wishing you were on the ground." I feel the same as you.

[@vladimirassalukas6726]

smart knows how to get out of bad situation, wise will not go into that :D

[@AMT4245]

I went up in a 172SP with G1000 with someone I knew who had recently got their PPL and was working on their IR. He wanted to get back to the home field *really* bad. He straight up flew into IMC with bases 1100 tops 5000. He barely had control of the aircraft the whole time. I wanted to fucking hurt him after that. I was in complete shock.

[@tiny_toilet]

@@AMT4245 That is terrifying just to imagine.

[@AMT4245]

tjbtech Oh yeah, it was bad. He was failing to maintain any consistent speed or altitude. Luckily we had TCAS along with flight following so I wasn’t super concerned with other traffic. But I had to alert him of his speed several times. We were just at or possibly even over max gross for the aircraft

[@kewkabe]

I'm just a controller, but I think another option he had was to get an IFR block altitude, say 11-13. That way he could get closer to the layers and punch through thin layers if needed as he rides along the tops. I'd mention though you need it to avoid icing, so they know it's for safety reasons and not because you want to play around IFR when they may be busy.

[@Taliyon]

You aren't an airman, until you've screwed up a dozen times, a dozen different ways. You must take every lesson learned to heart, and forge your processes, until you find the standards from which you'll never bend. Almost everybody who has flown VFR on top has had a brush like this. It's a fantastic teachable moment!

[@TheWindigomonster]

Thats some fantastic professionalism from ATC... The controller very quickly realized the potential for that situation to get worse.

[@jasonnemjo5981]

Wow, this is a great video. I'm so glad the pilot was willing to share this experience. This gives those who have not yet experienced a similar event a benchmark to say, hey I've seen this before. I need to fix this right now before I get too deep. Thanks again for sharing!

[@skywalkeraviation9669]

Thanks for sharing this informative video for newer, less experienced pilots like myself.

[@flyerh]

I am a professional helicopter pilot of 42 years with 11500 hours experience,I have flown all over the world in many different aircraft and conditions.I got a good piece of advice from an ex Vietnam pilot which stayed with me through my career. He stated that we are all born with a bag of luck.We don't know how much luck is in that bag,but the more you use it the less luck you have and one day you reach into your bag of luck and there ain't no more luck.Fly safe don't rely on luck.

[@bernardanderson7569]

As a pilot I'm planning on getting and finishing my IFR rating and watching this is what I'm not going to depart from when weather conditions like ice at and above or below the altitude that I filled with ATC . This is a great learning experience for me to always check out my weather conditions to my destination location and my alternate airport weather. Thanks for sharing

[@aviationandsimulationbyber9244]

Thanks for this interesting report on ADM. I had goosebumps throughout this video.

[@gregellis3859]

This video kind of floored me. And it shows that anyone can fall prey to get there itis or whatever this was. I have seen the videos from this pilot many times in his Real World IFR, Real World VFR and Coast to Coast, etc.... and there must have been something very pressing waiting at home for him to push the limits like this. Great video to show that any of us can succumb to hazardous thoughts as talked about with ADM.

[@nonmihiseddeo4181]

I agree with you that he had "get-there-itis," for whatever reason. It's a great video.

[@abrinson1996]

Very easy to critique someone while you're in a comfortable chair watching in hindsight

[@tedsaylor6016]

Mighta had "get home itis" but at the end of the day he uneventfully landed in Virginia, not NJ.

[@Bartonovich52]

abrinson1996 Not just hindsight. These types of pilots are accidents waiting to happen. I don’t have any stories of being stuck between icing layers in a piston single because I wouldn’t ever dream of flying one that way. All of my piston single time is VFR, clear of cloud, under deck. Even in the most extreme terrain imaginable, where all there are is steep valleys with mountains extending into the overcast, I always had a way back to a safe harbour, and never once risked icing up.

[@pipercolt1963]

ruined a good career because of this condition. plus.google.com/u/0/118033086497181352290/posts/HF7VkUtHByb

[@thesailjunkie]

Respect for the pilot. He had the sack to admit his mistakes and share his experience.

[@jeffwads]

Are you kidding? I know a few pilots that brag about making stupid decisions like they deserve a medal or something. No sacks needed for delusional thinking.

[@bernardanderson7569]

Knowing where you are and knowing what you want to do before you get in a situation especially Flying IFR in a Single - pilot aircraft prepares you for planning your flight to your destination and I love the Helpful words of Communication from ATC when called upon at anytime you feel that your flight could not be completed because they are here to help and guide you to a safe place. This is a learning experience for me to stay calm and fly the aircraft to a safe landing . Thank you for sharing this amazing adventure

[@bluetickfreddy101]

Well for the hundredth time “ get home itis” Killed lots

[@tiny_toilet]

This pilot seems plenty competent to me, and it shows how easy it can be to end up in a bad place, even with the best of intentions and _trying_ to be careful. Goes to show that there is no such thing as too careful. I would never criticize this airman for the mistakes he made. Instead, I'm so grateful that he has the courage and humility to share his experience for the benefit of others. Thank you, and may this save you and many others (maybe even me) from ever ending up in a similar scenario.

[@LawJolla]

Much like stop signs in CA, that "1000ft above clouds" must be aspirational and not required

[@DrewLSsix]

Realistically in flight all rul3s are aspirational, the idea is for there to not be a problem but when one arises you gotta fly the situation you are in. You may still get your ass chewed if you grossly mismanaged your flight but the goal is always to do what's needed from the current moment on.

[@GamerTubeHD]

Pilot: Well this day can't get any worse.... Plane: gives 2 green....

[@DocIlpalazzo]

What does that mean?

[@GoggleDog115]

It means his aircraft is only indicating that 2 out of his 3 landing gears are securely down and locked, usually a good sign to go around and make sure everything is OK and you don't have a mechanical failure.

[@DocIlpalazzo]

TheDimmaDuck Oh. Wonderful!

[@The_Touring_Jedi]

@@DocIlpalazzo It means his front right wheel is stuck or some electrical problem. But with such a small aircraft is not a big deal, you get live trough it

[@waynearrington6727]

one of his first comments "I have to get there....." is like spinning that cylinder

[@marklacy5011]

Good learning video! Classic case of “Get there-it’s”! Just goes to show you how easily pilots and even very experienced can get caught up in this kind of a jam! He lucked out! This could have easily had a different outcome. Learn from your mistakes, more important, learn from other peoples mistakes!

[@b747]

Very nice video, I liked the narrative and the way it was presented.

[@LostAnFound]

And, the pilot shows clear signs being infected with getthereitias at 0:55.

[@nonmihiseddeo4181]

I notice that my driving and trip planning on the ground have also improved, since I started watching these pilot's videos. So, I'm getting a double benefit and thank you so much for uploading your videos.

[@motoxcarbon9891]

The best thing about this video is that the guy kept his cool. He flew the aircraft, worked over his options, made it all happen. He knew the potential of what he was getting into, had plenty of fuel of board, and knew how to communicate and work with his avionics, radios and ATC. Stuff happens when you fly and what separates pilots (the good from the bad) is how well they handle each situation.

[@JWH-01]

The scariest flight I ever had was years ago on one of my first "real" cross country flights. Midway through the 500 mile trip I became the typical VFR pilot inadvertently flying into IMC. To add to my stress level, the plane was collecting ice too. Fortunately, my primary instructor included enough instrument training that I didn't lose it due to spacial disorientation. I did a 180 degree turn back to VFR and landed at the very first airport. Even then I realized that this is the stuff accident reports are full of. Weather is the biggest threat to general aviation.

[@rinzler9775]

Good call.

[@jeffwads]

Smart move, John. I wish others were better as lowering their risks.

[@JWH-01]

@@jeffwads My personal weather minimums are much more strict than the FAA legal ones. As my primary instructor always said, "what is legal isn't always what is smart". The plane I was flying in my post was my own plane. It had previously been an instrument trainer at a flight school before I bought it. The equipment was old, but very reliable.

[@craigjhr]

9:21 That's awesome, an "enroute" special VFR clearance, but just a quick one. I'll have to remember that for future use.

[@buckbuchanan5849]

I’ve followed this guys channel for a long time. He’s a squared away, very instrument proficient, safe pilot. Goes to prove, can happen to anyone. Only reason I think he wanted IFR to VFR on top, was for more direct routing. Hypoxia affecting decision making easily could’ve been in play. Definitely a scary prospect. Should’ve kept the IFR

[@Philscbx]

Really Like How this video was integrated with so much realtime data going on from mapping to tower control. Very Impressed. Amazing how weather can look just fine one minute and turn ugly as the sun is setting, which added to the drama - but why is the sun setting, if heading East? I may have missed a detail. Glad this worked out, but the stress had to be near max level, and it wears one out to possibly making more mistakes. As one mentioned already, being in a rush to begin with, was setting up a crisis, limiting margins of error. . Cheers

[@user-fi6tq3mo3q]

Great job mr pilot.

[@rocktruggy03]

This is great insight. Charlottesville is in my area. This is very familiar airspace. Freezing clouds near and above the mountains is all to common.

[@5xls]

He sure puts a lot more faith in one piston engine than I ever would.

[@Dimme]

I bet the engine has more than one pistons ;)

[@5xls]

Haha...good one!

[@davem5333]

@@Dimme But all it takes is one broken piston.

[@Dimme]

@@davem5333 Whoooosh :) (Explanation from the captain: "one piston engine" is a typo of SEP which stands for "Single Engine Piston", not "Single Piston Engine", thus I joked about SEP having more than one pistons.)

[@Dimme]

@Mircea that is not what I said.

[@flyAJ]

Especially with today's modern tools for monitoring weather near real time while airborne, there's nothing wrong with keeping a flexible flight plan and modifying fuel stops as you go. In fact, it can make it potentially much more efficient. And I was impressed with the pilot's comfort with using ATC as an effective tool for helping manage his route. Having IFR cability is a very useful "out" for a planned VFR flight. At one point he mentions being at 13,500 ft for "an hour and fifteen". Definitely not a good idea without supplement oxygen. About 15 minutes at that altitude without a lower top in sight may have been a good hint to turn around or get clearance for lower. And being that it's now on a published video, hopefully he's already filed an ASRS. PilotWorkships seems to have over-dramatized the descent at the end a bit. Why should he have declared an emergency? It would certainly be appropriate for a VFR only pilot to declare an emergency to get ATC assistance for the descent, but he's obviously IFR capable, and he quickly got an IFR clearance, as he should have. He did seem a bit confused about Special VFR clearances, which only apply below 10,000 ft and within airport-designated Class E airspace - didn't appear to apply in this case, but ATC graciously ignored the request and gave him an appropriate IFR clearance instead. I would have considered circling back to the hole in the clouds and picking up the IFR descent clearance there, where the layer was thinnest. The biggest issue I'd see with the fast descent, (assuming all other airplane limitations were respected) would be shock cooling the engine. In the end, he walked away from the airplane, and the airplane is still flyable. I still haven't had my perfect flight yet, either.

[@williamcampbellpepper5186]

flyAJ wsv3 will actually let you see next round in real time as long as you can get an internet connection in your aircraft

[@Bartonovich52]

No it won’t. Nothing replaces airborne radar.

[@hawkdsl]

Educational! He did plan for the limitations of his aircraft by going way south. I think when you have to divert this much, this vid shows we should take some serious time to understand the weather picture. Don't plan for the worst, but plan for the absolute worst. Thanks for the vid.

[@TBoNdBRFOX7]

Amazing video. Manny lessons learned. Also I'd like to point out the situational awareness from atc is impressive. Here at brazil CHG at the clearances are not welcome. So if I had to go IFR and back, that would prpbably be a problem here.

[@TheRotorhound]

Icing is very very frightening. I was over DC at 17,000 feet and rapidly started picking up ice. Prop and pitot heat on and told atc that we needed immediate descent to which they said no. I said yes and as I descended into warmer air chunks of ice started shedding and I was hoping the tail wouldn't get damaged. If I had listened to atc I wouldn't be here now. Very frightening and pic flies the plane not atc. There were no repercussions from atc and you do what you need to do. This pilot did well too.

[@TheRotorhound]

Enteraname Happened in the middle of summer. Unpredicted. Really shook me up it happened so fast. You are right about declaring an emergency but my only thought was to rapidly find warmer air. Talk later as needed.

[@aeromagnumtv1581]

@Enteraname I doubt most Pilots purposely get into known ice.

[@intechtel]

The second he said "I NEED to get home" was one nail in the coffin...

[@execatty]

I needed to get home...God Said ok...Welcome Home

[@ytoal]

Great video, will help save people if they get this advice

[@612nadiya]

this is a great lesson for all pilots out there and specialy for private pilots.As a private pilot, i decided to persue my instrumental lesson to be more professional and educated Pilot to be safe.

[@thekaraokecook466]

WOW! That was one shitty situation, can happen to anyone. I'M glad it all worked out and that you were able to defeat the ice and clouds.

[@hogster5935]

Thank you for posting. I flew cost to cost and know the feeling on getting home. Remember pilots, listen in your mind on what you've learned. I have seen images of looking better up ahead. Once boxed in, now only one choice to make. Not good when flying VFR or IFR. Agree do not rely on luck. It is not a big deal landing and re-grouping. What do you loose? Time? Perhaps hotel charge?..... Better than losing your life and causing your family grieve!

[@andrewdutton3831]

Boy, I was anxious for them and I'm watching this in the comfort of my living room. Glad this was posted. Good to learn from others' experience without having to experience it myself.

[@ducatislag9910]

I'm only a pilot in training, but even I know that ATC will be on your side if you are having trouble. They are wonderful people with families that want to see you get home to YOUR family. No harm in calling an emergency, getting below the icing layer, and re-accessing the situation. A false alarm is better than a real emergency when you're shit out of options.

[@hh1n]

Excellent video, thanks for uploading. An awesome video for instructional purposes, I'll share it with my instrument students the next time someone groans about the importance of weather products or ADM.

[@1234SERGIO4321]

Great video, and great comments.

[@SoftTinyBunny]

WOW, WHAT A PRESENTATION! Excellent work. Sub'd

[@Aviation101]

Really cool video! Very informative. Many lessons to be learned for everyone.

[@lukeyonts9191]

Found ya, love your videos.

[@FlyingJournalism]

Dive down as fast as possible!🤘 -from a professional pilot to another

[@ZicajosProductions]

I love N07, great little airport.

[@MrSixstring2k]

Thank you for sharing, we all make mistakes and learned from them. In a industry we’re does mistakes end up being FAA and NTSB investigations with casualty reports I rather learn this way.

[@richardmackino6983]

Things are not looking good. So I go anyway

[@jimfarrell5055]

Richard Mackino ñ

[@rn2811]

The only ice I like is in my cocktail not on my wings..glad you made it.

[@chrisscott1547]

Been there done that. This is the weakness of small airplane IFR in the winter. No de-ice, not great climb power, and you're on top at 8000, it's 32F on the ground. ATC wants to give you a prolonged descent through the ICE, so you'll be coated when you slow for landing. Time for the slam-dunk!

[@sfsailor102]

Which this guy does, even though layer is thin he really drops the plane through it. Def didn't want ice.

[@jandejong2430]

Yes. Fly VFR because under the circumstances the plane is not IFR capable.

[@gregellis3859]

I have watch the Real World Coast to Coast and I do not remember seeing this flight (like you say in the video). It shows his flight from the East coast to the West coast but not back again.

[@JeffMulligan]

As of 1/19, 15 hours of briefings, flights and debriefs have been added to Real World Coast to Coast. All existing customers have been upgraded.

[@lucasbrien5008]

Hopefully this is a wake-up call. He wasn’t being grossly negligent, but things like clear get-there-itis and cutting the fuel reserve to the bare minimum 30 minutes add up to a situation ripe for an accident. Huge respect to this guy for making the video public, it could educate others and possibly save lives.

[@cmdmd]

This is a clear example of a moment when you have to TELL ATC what you need to do, be clear, be assertive and the commit. I would like to know how long was he exposed to the icing conditions. The speed and the maneuver themselves were not dangerous.

[@scopex2749]

That was scary watching his potential ‘hole’ closing down fast as he headed into the sunset! Shutting down the remaining VFR with the possibility of looking outside and seeing wing icing. I admire that he remained calm, assessed his options and worked the problem.....but if that had been me, when the controller asked.... “Do you need assistance?” I would have politely said er HECK YES PLEASE, before my options book slammed shut! Thank you for sharing.

[@sfsailor102]

Haha.. I would have just pushed down through the hole with a "descending to 11,000" and taken my talking too if needed as long as I had ads-b running and clear and was confident I was on radar. But I would have HATED being above clouds with icing risk and sun going down. That plane is fast - a lot of GA planes you'd have a lot more time to get through the hole. This guy moves if the video is not sped up.

[@xaviergarneau]

great pilot looks very competent , for me with the icing reports i wouldve strayed below cloud cover , im not that confident yet hehe

[@cpypcy]

I hope to see this in MS FS 2020 so I can try the same thing.

[@CC-te5zf]

“I’ve really gotta get going…” I lost a friend in an aviation accident that said something very similar.

[@ogrebattle22763]

I like that he didn't panic though & get flustered at losing his opportunity to drop through that small hole in the clouds....

[@maxtanicfilms]

OMG only 2 green at night over the inner marker after that! Yikes!!

[@rixogtr]

what was that ? what are those "two green" ? thanks

[@aaron8862006]

rixogtr Those lights are gear position indicators. Seeing two only makes him think he may only have 2 of 3 landing gear mounts extended and locked. There are a lot of variables in that situation. The gear could be fine with a faulty light, or it could be mechanically unable to extend or lock, and could collapse on landing. This is compounded (as gear problems always are) by the low altitude and often fuel remaining at destination.

[@rixogtr]

Thanks, well thats scary

[@michaelbillstrom170]

He should’ve had that gear extended way earlier than just about over the runway. Had the same situation happen to me but not at night. Noticed the 2 green after extension and then continued the approach in for a low pass and had tower confirm all 3 were down. Then went around and retracted the gear and tried the emergency extension to see if the third would light up. Still no light. Tried swapping bulbs and still no light. Went in for a second attempt while getting confirmation from tower that all 3 were down and proceeded with the soft field landing technique just in case that third wheel wasn’t locked down. Landed safely and turned out to be a bad sensor.

[@albatraoz7045]

Thanks for asking because I was also wondering.

[@sciencebeartimberwoods7610]

Super interesting. Glad he made it. The ATC could maybe have picked up on his stressed requests.

[@anthonyvega1959]

Thank you for sharing. I live 10 minutes from n07. We should meet up

[@colinmac5104]

Not going to down talk the pilot here, not an easy situation. He should have done multiple things differently, but all that matters is that he is okay, learned from the experience, and had the guts too post it online for everyone too hopefully learn from themselves. Fly safe everyone.

[@solarasolarwind4323]

Flying is like Trading Stocks, risk management really does save lives but for aviation this is even more crucial.

[@TheJockeBerglund]

Did the right landing gear not extend properly on short final...?

[@DrKeez]

I must say despite his predicament, that view at 9:00 was beautiful.

[@benjwgarner]

It's the kind of view best appreciated when IFR in a pressurized airplane. 😏

[@VxMAX]

He landed. How he may have gotten to land (the good, the great, the lack thereof), are extra cherries on top of the cake. In my experience, I encountered IMC (though METAR/TAF reported something vastly different in the area) and icing and I immediately opted to do a 180 and land. It was refreshing to see how he handled this situation.

[@Setters88]

Does anyone have a link please to the pilots video channel? What was the outcome of the approach to land?

[@erikasells7504]

Damned the regs. He flew past several holes in a thin overcast while still VFR from watching the video. How much ice would you think you’d accumulate in 500ft thin broken/overcast? He gained experience which is a good thing.

[@Buttonfanatic]

Nice video thank you for share it.. How much cost a plane like this one ? Thanks im advance

[@CaesarInVa]

Seems like he's a pretty good pilot. Knew his systems, communicated well with the ground...maybe that's what happens when we get too confident? Anyway, I'm the last person to criticize or judge.

[@troydavis1064]

Nice video

[@alexandermyrthue1987]

I can't see the full video by using the link in the description

[@CCitis]

At first I wasnt sure about declaring an emergency, but as I watch him continue and ATC not understanding the urgency I think it would have helped.

[@mikecorleone6797]

I’ve flown my piper comanche 260 to 15,000 only once without oxygen because i had to fly over a 100 mile TFR to get to my destination... not sure what it was about but I didn’t have enough fuel to detour so i had to climb above the TFR of 13,500 ft.. luckily there wasn’t much cloud cover and i was fine. That was about 7 years ago. Still not sure what that TFR was about.. never found out

[@CharlesFreck]

People in comments talking about "just never do it" and "gethomeitis". Yes, there is a risk of saying "I really have to get home today", but you have NO context for why. Perhaps whatever it is he's getting home makes this flying an acceptable risk. It's easy to always look at times people crash and say "this is always 100% dangerous and unacceptable". But if people do this 10000 times a year and it results in 1 crash, well. Those aren't the worst odds to be up against if you're confident and experienced. They're honestly better odds then alot of situations driving a car, and there's way less training and procedures for driving a car, and much less reaction time. Some people are happy to accept risks to their life. Not everyone's that scared of dying.

[@smokingspitfire1197]

I go a bit over the top but being quite low houred right now I think it is the right way to go forward. I don't fly even if the flight looks marginal but possible and I always get a second opinion from someone much more experienced. I would never be able to do this kind of flying, especially in a plane with no icing capability!

[@_nodoubt]

Crazy how claustrophobic clouds can make me feel

[@JeffMulligan]

Good to be aware of that.

[@Bartonovich52]

I just punch through them in my King Air. Man, this video makes me love my FIKI turbine twin.

[@denniscraven8438]

Lots of lessons here. Oh my. Homie don't dat game!

[@hunterfagan6272]

What if the overcast layer was much thicker? Also, what if it was known icing conditions?

[@styler19721]

Must have been Thanksgiving morning and well.. that dressing

[@ctn830]

What were those two highlighted lights in his cockpit at the end?

[@PVTurners]

Cool video. What were the green lights circled on the instrument panel at the end? Should put a graphic up for those of us who are not pilots. Thanks.

[@AVeryLARGEBoy]

Very late reply but green = landing gear down and locked. If it's not green it's not locked/fully extended

[@operationcwaI789789]

0:55 that's when I knew he is going to screw things up (more or less)

[@mjudec]

Yup. Good rule of thumb- if you HAVE to get somewhere by a certain time, it's probably not a great choice to fly there yourself. Actually, same is true of driving a car- that sort of pressured situation causes problems.

[@StoutProper]

mjudec being in a position to fly somewhere should mean you never have to rush

[@K0nst4nt1n96]

mjudec yes i hate driving under pressure. Makes you accept more risks.

[@player04ian]

9:15 terrifying visual

[@failedfishermanBC]

What was being indicated by the green lights at the end of the video there? When he's coming in for a landing and says "this is ridiculous."

[@failedfishermanBC]

NVM, someone else explained below. It means the plane is indicating that only 2 out of 3 landing gears came down.

[@UncleBoratagain]

Handled it very well imo, the pernicious risk of flying on one engine above such icing ought to be avoided with an early decision to 180

[@mikepazzree1340]

I just watched this on you tube after paying money to watch this Pilot ( and his excellent CFII doing voiceover ). The comments are rather harsh for Two Men who have worked countless hours making excellent videos . The over arcing premise of these videos is directly and indirectly related to Pilot Safety. A video repertoire rather like “ I l Learned About Flying “ from Flying Magazine. The Pilot is the guy who developed Pilot Edge , an amazing ATC app for X Plane. Did he make mistakes? Yup. Do I make mistakes ? Yup. But he has skin in the game and the Guts and the Nuts to post his faux pas for everyone to fly and type from their easy boy recliner. The late , great Bob Hoover spoke to Harrison Ford rather eloquently about Pilots. How they are very nice people and collectively try to help one another out. End of Rant SFMF

[@comcfi]

It was at that moment he realized ...

[@paqliam]

What was the meaning of the green lights at the end?

[@boahneelassmal]

I feel a little get-there-itis :D

[@ClearAdventure]

A lot of these are like the TV show "I shouldn't be alive" and I usually agree. Because if you walk in the desert like you own the place with no water, things happen. In a plane if you don't declare an emergency, things happen. There is a time to realize pride means nothing, and life everything. Why worry about what your friends may say? Live long enough to give them a friendly uppercut if needed. Or a "Sorry mate, things went sideways". At least those stories end with you alive.

[@raymond3803]

Never take off without a back pack parachute. If/When things get testy. Pick up everything in the cockpit that can be traced to you. Climb out on the wing. Spray paint over the Plane ID #. best you can.........Then jump!

[@zzodr]

Nice! :-)

[@raymond3803]

@@zzodr Thank you. Glad to see others with logic and rational

[@GuyFromTheSouth]

I would actually do this if I were a pilot. I would never fly without a parachute lol

[@antoy384]

Carry a parachute. In case of emergency, attach your bag to the parachute, put the electronics in it and throw it overboard. So we can get the precious electronics. Thanks.

[@brianmorrison9066]

Sure. Just spray paint standing on the wing in 200 mph wind. Even if you did, you don't think.....serial numbers? Even a armature mechanic could media blast off a layer of paint and see. Never mind a forensic team.

[@rcarsey]

Special VFR is not available over 10,000MSL. (@9:10)

[@craigpennington1251]

Great video. He has a stunning aircraft and my personal opinion is that the pilot should get some oxygen in that craft. There's not much of anything he can do about de-icing equipment. Did he get home?

[@user-zm1ft3ob7t]

Since when do you put the gear down at a 1/4 mile?

[@billigerfusel]

If only he watched all the youtube videos, he would have understood the true gravity of the situation.