Great video - ATC treated him as an emergency a/c without a declaration. Good on em. Having just completed an IPC after a decade plus w/o flying, I can at least understand the complexity, if not the decision making that led him here. To those decrying the iPad - dozens of saves currently attributed to having a moving map GPS,and backup attitude reference system (yes, Foreflight and G-Pilot can both do that) on board in the event of primary nav failure. Likely he had an older GPS - GNS series or prior - and could not program it correctly, so it failed to match his iPad, leading to confusion. Training / retraining is the solution to that. WRT fuel, well, that's pretty unforgiveable if you are flying into known IMC. He DOES need at least remedial training - which doesn't mean he's incompetent, just that he needs to build/rebuild safe flying judgment and decision making with a solid CFII. He was able to fly the airplane by instrument reference once ATC got him to focus on task one, so could potentially relearn. This incident was undoubtedly investigated by the local FSDO, and I suspect, dealt with through the FAA Compliance program, rather than as a violation enforcement action. Probably mandated remedial training. Lastly - although ATC did do a great job, especially without a lot of options given the discovered critical fuel situation, a VOR approach with 1000 ceiling and circle to land is NOT my first choice for a low-stress approach! KBDR has an ILS, it would just have been a tailwind landing on a 4800' runway, but I would have thought about offering it. KOXC is 8 minutes to the north and has an ILS 36 which might have been considered, although likely the weather was worse. Glad it turned out well, and hope the pilot - and his spouse - recovered from the turmoil and made good decisions about future flying.
Oh, and looks like the controller Jeffrey Schuler actually received an award for his handling - outstanding! Also looks like the aircraft has since changed registration, and online panel photos show no GPS installed, although what looks like a portable Garmin 495 or similar is fitted in one photo. 1970's era avionics only.
I think my only comment on this would be that I fly from Oxford, and because it’s at a slightly higher elevation, the ceilings are often lower. So while that might’ve been a good option the ceilings may have also been more difficult to work with
I don't think anyone is saying "don't use an iPad". There's a difference between "you shouldn't use it" and "you shouldn't NEED it". If you cannot aviate and navigate without the iPad, you shouldn't be flying. It's a tool. It should not be a crutch.
@@bronco5334 I saw a few comments that seemed to indicate an iPad has no place in a cockpit - which I completely disagree with - I don't think there's an airline Captain out there not using his company's tablet. But I concur with you that it cannot be the primary reference, ever. Just like a portable GPS (which I think is what this gentleman was using, along with his iPad) they aren't approved as IFR navigators. If you are using an iPad as primary navigation in IMC, you should have already said 'Mayday,' as you are operating without the required equipment for the flight. Also concur that they can inadvertently become so essential that you cannot maintain SA without - which is a clear training and proficiency problem, for some extra dual time, sim time, etc...
@@pnzrldr Nice. Good work by the controller indeed. The pilot clearly had some training and it worked out once he started relying on what he did know. But indeed needs help getting up to standard again. Good for him to ask help on time.
Pilot made a lot of mistakes here but made one huge correct decision, that was to admit he was in trouble and asked for help. May have been embarrassing to admit that he was not up to the task, but at the end of the day he made it back to his own bed with his wife beside him. That's a win and he should be commended for making that decision. Too many pilots would have let their pride get in the way here and tried to press on.
Asking for help is the most important thing anyone can do when an overwhelming problem arises. Too often we see pilots unwilling to ask for help when in a bad situation.B
He was overwhelmed, task-saturated by being single-pilot IMC and not proficient. But did not lose it, asked for help and got it. Kudos to all involved.
Props to the pilot. He admitted he’s behind the plane and asked for help. So much better than those other pilots who just can’t seem to admit it. This can happen to any GA pilot who isn’t flying imc all the time. Sucks about all the negative comments. I’d like to see some of you admit you’re behind the plane and say you need a little hand. I hope this guy went up and did some goggle flying to get back on track but props to everyone involved.
Asking for help is a very important skill, not just when flying a plane. Too many people never learn it, especially men, and encounter failure as a result. People should ask for help more, it is not a sign of weakness but of intelligence.
Pilot was practically already in a death spiral due to disorientation in the clouds. ATC did an amazing job. After having seen a few IFR crash videos, hearing "my navigation appears broken" gives me the chills.
Fantastic ATC with expertise and patience. That pilot needs a wake-up call. Going up depending on GPS nav with weak iPad batteries? And get that aircraft in the shop. If fuel gauge shows 1/4 full on an empty tank, the grim reaper is your co-pilot.
Also telling ATC he had 8-10 gallons remaining as if ATC has memorized the fuel consumption rate of every aircraft. Provide that in hours or minutes my man! "90 minutes of fuel remaining"
No damage to property, no injuries and not fatalities! Great work everyone. Those judging the PIC know that any recreational pilot can get in over their head, but this guy asked for help, without ego or fear of getting busted and it’s because of that an amazing controller was able to help him get down safely.
I fly professionally (search & rescue) and have been a pilot for 34 years… pilots like this worry me a lot. It’s not that he got into a bad situation, more that he went up in the first place being so ill-prepared. I hope he gets some continuance / refresher instruction.
For sure, but he recognized he was messed up and got help. He also remained well composed through the ordeal. ATC saved his and his wifes lives, no question about it 👍
“Yea, one of the VORs should work”. Message to the wife. He took you into bad weather with just an iPad and no understanding of his equipment is inexcusable. He’s unsafe. NEVER fly with him again.
Exactly what I was thinking - this is an unsafe pilot. The nonchalantness and lack of basic plane maintenance - eh, one of them should work, oh I got plenty of fuel, shit one tank is empty now......
That controller saved at least two lives that day and possibly more on the ground! Most excellent ATC! That pilot needs some remedial training ASAP! I doubt his wife will ever fly with him again so just sell that plane, move on and keep everyone else safe!
he should trade it in for a nice big park model Airstream trailer and keep his feet on the ground. Scary to have folks like him in the air space above us.
Honestly can relate to this guy. My first solo IFR flight was a couple months after I passed my check ride. I took off fine but quickly went into IMC and felt majorly disoriented. I had flown in IMC a few times before with my CFII and never had anything that bad. Luckily the cloud tops were only around 2500 and popped out on top and was able to look outside and get past the disorientation keeping me from focusing on my instruments. I had filed locally to shoot some practice approaches and dropping back into IMC I got a dot below glideslope and Tower gave me an altitude alert. It felt like I was all over the place every time I entered the clouds. After a couple approaches at a nearby airport, I noticed my NAV light breaker had popped to top it all off. I just got vectors back to my home airport, landed, and got out of the plane. IMC is tough for a solo pilot. I was newly minted and had been doing a ton of instrument training so I felt proficient. I had never been disoriented like that in the cockpit before. I powered through and made it out safely. I have since flown in IMC just fine, and it was probably just my nerves getting to me with my first time going solo. The biggest thing is not giving up because no one else is there to take the controls and major kudos to this guy for admitting he had a problem and getting help. We can train every day, but if we can’t admit when we’ve gotten ourselves into more than we can handle because we have to be big brave pilots for the armchair pilots listening to our atc calls on youtube, that’s when we become unsafe. Good decision making can still happen after we’ve gotten ourselves into bad situations with poor decision making.
2:30 "Thought I was Sir, am I still turning?" Pilot was in full disorientation - I'm not a pilot but this sent shivers down my spine. ATC saved the day here.
the pilot was referring the "am I turning" to the radar lag in the ATC. He was saying that he is already levelled the airplane but the ATC was still asking him to level the plane which the pilot responded that am I turning which means is he still turning on the radar. Don't make comments without thinking for once.
@@malavpatel1135 rich of you to assume I wasn't thinking. Put yourself in this pilot's shoes. If he's in IMC and has spatial disorientation, the pilot is confused as to whether he may have an instrument failure or some kind of motion feeling. I doubt the pilot is thinking about the ATCs radar lag.
Never flown a plane but I have lost orientation when scuba diving. I was swimming in a 30° nose down angle, thinking it was level. I know that bubbles go straight up but they 100% looked like they were going over my shoulder. And just before I surfaced the water's surface looked like it was sloping. I can well imagine the pilot being unsure whether his plane was really level. That said, ATC did awesome job stemming the rising panic and unloading the pilot of tasks.
Btw, Ipad is NOT legal or approved for primary navigation nor should it be used for such, it is only a tool to partially assist. You must use planes instruments and actual paper charts/approach plates. If you rely on tablets more than 35-40%, you dont belong in the plane up front.
That is true for navigation, but there is no requirement for paper charts. I have electronic charts on my iPad and iPhone and in the panel. This pilot’s problem was only partially related to his reliance on the iPad; it was a primarily a lack of basic instrument proficiency.
Uhh… paper charts?? Either you’ve been away from aviation for the last decade, or you’ve never ventured past microsoft flight sim. Either way, you don’t know what you’re talking about…
You gotta empathize here. I’ve been at work or doing something and have bit off more than I can chew. And you start feeling overwhelmed. And a little panic sets in. And suddenly you aren’t thinking straight. Suddenly all you want is to get on the ground. Maybe you had too much coffee, or not enough. Didn’t sleep well. Had a fight with your spouse… whatever it is you can be thrown off. You have to just fly that airplane and get down.
He got really close to "178 seconds to live" there, props on ATC for recognizing the task saturation, confirmation bias and then breaking that pattern and getting that poor guy down. He managed to dodge ending up on Dan Gryder's GA fatality list which is good.
When the controller said "you get your wings level and I will take care of the navigation" I felt like a savior just arrived. The ATC talked like he was a pilot saving another pilot. Very moving. Give that controller an award.
That controller seemed to know the fundamentals better than the pilot. I understand how complications can make a person’s brain wander, but he should know to fly first always. That was a very close call. I love how the controller kept it cool with his tone at all times. That probably saved the day.
Will that make the Archie considerations? I don’t think that guy would have made it without N90. “Just fly the plane” “let me worry about navigation” is the best advice they can ever give!
Mah god... Navigation failures and fuel gauges showing incorrect quantities... Engine failure due to a tank running dry while still showing 1/4 of a tank is some scary stuff in IMC.
Jeesh... I always have have my iPad connected to a USB battery bank sitting in the footwell pocket. That way BOTH the USB battery bank and iPad battery must be drained before I have issues, and even then I can still hook it up to the aircraft's panel USBs if need be. AND I keep an older iPad (charged) in the seatback pocket. and if all else fails..paper charts in the seatback pocket too.
Give a look at the paper charts every now and then, I do a lot of hiking and it’s very easy to lose track of what’s what on a paper chart when you’re used to GPS/iPad
There was no GPS when I learned to fly. There were VOR, NDB, DME, Localizers, and lat/long fixes. And no video screens showing where we were. And a bunch of paper charts and approach plates.
Man that is gentleman’s flying. I want to have a part time stake in some Cessna and just get a bunch of hood time with a safety pilot. No EFBs or GPS all conventional navigation and paper and pencil. Fortunately and unfortunately the U.S. is moving away from the VOR system and trying to go entirely RNAV or RNP as legend has it
AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE...don't ever forget that. we flew many years without Ipads or even GPS. This guy seems to have a bit of a lax attitude toward his flying. I'm glad he survived this time, but I doubt he even takes the lessons to heart.
I've never heard a pilot so comfortable with being incompetent before. "Yeah, I'm kind of all over the place up here. But we've got loads of fuel, so we can go another couple of hours here!" 😖
Good lord when I learned to fly all we had was a sectional laid across our laps with a course drawn in pencil on it and our waypoints marked and the distance and estimated time it would take to reach each waypoint based on or flight planning using forecasted winds at different altitudes to compute our headings and ground speed and maybe one OMNI (VOR) receiver. Before I retired from flight instructing a few years ago I taught my students to learn this procedure and take me on a cross country using nothing but that procedure. Every student always thanked me for it. Most said it was a lot more fun than lumbering along watching a GPS.
wow, I was looking at that plane overflying my house and heard the engine go out for a second when he went towards the water, I thought it was some sort of training flight, simulating engine failure in IMC, but was wondering what school would train like going in an out of clouds seemed pretty erratic, by the time I managed to connect to live ATC he had already been cleared for landing and seemed pretty uneventful, so I just assumed it was some very advanced training lol.
Safety data can show technology has made flying easier which means safer but without technology crutches pilots have become less safe. The FAA has released an advisory circular saying as much to remind pilots and training depts to remember basics skill levels.
Everyone is piling on this guy but if his panel GPS died in IMC, that's tough. His iPad was obviously backup if he has a panel GPS. Give him props for staying cool and asking for help.
I watch a lot of these video's and sometimes the pilot's and ATC get terse with one another, but when the chips are down and a pilot is in trouble the ATC always seem to go above and beyond. Kudo's to this controller!!
So many men lost their lives trying to impress a woman. Kudos to the pilot keeping calm (probably crying inside), listening to the ATC. And of course big applaud to the atc community saving their lives. You dnt get that patience and empathy flying airliners.
Good job by the pilot for asking for help and eventually realizing his limits. With the armchair pilots roasting him here, I hope other pilots will not be ashamed to ask for help because they think the UA-cam "experts" will judge them harshly.
This animation was quite off, especially towards the end. It showed the aircraft landing on runway 24, while he actually landed on runway 29. The visuals were quite wrong with respect to what we heard on the radio.
Assuming he's flying legitimate IFR... which means he must be using an approved GPS powered by the main bus as a primary nav source... if that system fails it is NOT his fault, nor is it pre-flight negligence. ATC switching him over to VOR was a great move. Pilot was compliant with all commands and both sides did well.
Remember, these guys are up there with you. In a Mooney, no less. This is the result of doing 6 approaches a year, although I doubt he was current. I recommend every other year, take an IPC!!!! Whether you're current or not or need it or not. It could save your life.
@@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935 Not a re-examination, per se, but a flight review which is administered by a flight instructor. Most instructors treat it as a formality.
Been using GPS for years now. We used them when I was an Blackhawk crew chief. Anytime any kind of equipment fails it is stressful. Pilot was good. He explained what was happening and was able to figure it out. There are multiple things going on and he had trouble and told them.
@@drn13355GPS doesn’t fly the plane though. Even without GPS he should have been able to fly an approach to minimums if he was rated and current. He just didn’t know how to use all the toys. And probably list the iPad. Today’s pilots will be lucky if they make it through 500 hours safely.
This was rarely ever the case. I did my IFR in the early 2000s. NDB approaches in mountainous terrain. We had a KLN90 or something like that in the dash. My instructor said… as the needle slowly oscillated back and forth about ten degrees “the ADF keeps us legal… the GPS keeps safe!”
Reminds me of a cartoon in I think plane and pilot magazine. This was shortly after the first electronic flight aids were released on the market. In the cartoon the pilot is screaming mayday and when ATC asks the nature of his emergency his answer was "my electronic flight computers batteries just died!" I still use an E6B mainly because if you become dependent on technology it will let you down one day.
If you are landing in IMC at an unfamiliar airport you are going to depend on some technology whether you like it or not. Well, unless you have a controller help you in with a PAR, I guess.
@@bigal1863 Which is technology you said you do not want to depend on. Just say you want to depend on some technology, but not other technology. Honestly, I don't care either way, I just hate to see people talking stuff about pilots needing technology in hard IMC, then mentioning freaking charts.
Dude I was a Blackhawk crew chief for 22 years. You ever been flying IFR and have equipment failures? It is stressful. This pilot did a great job of explaining what was going on and maintaining composure. Christ people are so quick to judge have no clue. And GPS has been used since at least the mid 90s. It isn't some fancy new equipment.
Quite obviously this pilot was able to fly without GPS and his iPad -- as demonstrated by him staying on the VOR radial. The fact that his EFB (the iPad) was on its way out is a legitimate problem if there is no backup. You need charts to fly IFR. That he flew IFR without having the iPad plugged in (and some backup, like at least a phone) is a serious error if that IFR flight was planned...
Been flying for 35 years and have never relied on a fuel gage. IPads are handy and could be last ditch, marginal attitude back up but you need to be able to fly without it. Pilot decision making and proficiency clearly a problem here. The only thing that moved this incident from “tragically unforgivable” to “traumatically unforgivable” was his mumbled admission of incompetence and the controller’s immediate grasp of the problem.
Let's just admit it. Empty tank at a quarter gauge throws off the estimate of the other tank too. So he suddenly had a lot less fuel than he thought he was working with.
Whatever happened to flight planning, especially with setting up your VORs, regardless of GPS? Sounds very much like he drove his car with wings, and almost broke down on the highway. Good thing he could pull off onto the shoulder, so to speak. Awesome controller.
I understand what pilot feels in this imc it happens once. I struggle with up down drafts too much in imc getting tired and headache begins some point you give up and just fly whiteout checking directions and level. Atc catch that point and save the pilot. Now when i see tick layer of mist infront of me don’t try my chance. Try to flow under it or turn back no one will give you medal when you reach destination.
So fuel wise he had no idea how far he had flown and how much he had taken but was purely going by a stuck needle. At what point was he going to notice?
It pains me to see a pilot forgetting the #1 priority -- flying the plane, i.e. aviate. Then going from thinking there was about 1.5 hours of fuel to actual one tank is dry...yeesh! It just sounds like the dude didn't do any fuel calculation based on actual flight time and conditions. His wife was lucky they had that controller.
Great video - ATC treated him as an emergency a/c without a declaration. Good on em. Having just completed an IPC after a decade plus w/o flying, I can at least understand the complexity, if not the decision making that led him here. To those decrying the iPad - dozens of saves currently attributed to having a moving map GPS,and backup attitude reference system (yes, Foreflight and G-Pilot can both do that) on board in the event of primary nav failure. Likely he had an older GPS - GNS series or prior - and could not program it correctly, so it failed to match his iPad, leading to confusion. Training / retraining is the solution to that. WRT fuel, well, that's pretty unforgiveable if you are flying into known IMC. He DOES need at least remedial training - which doesn't mean he's incompetent, just that he needs to build/rebuild safe flying judgment and decision making with a solid CFII. He was able to fly the airplane by instrument reference once ATC got him to focus on task one, so could potentially relearn. This incident was undoubtedly investigated by the local FSDO, and I suspect, dealt with through the FAA Compliance program, rather than as a violation enforcement action. Probably mandated remedial training. Lastly - although ATC did do a great job, especially without a lot of options given the discovered critical fuel situation, a VOR approach with 1000 ceiling and circle to land is NOT my first choice for a low-stress approach! KBDR has an ILS, it would just have been a tailwind landing on a 4800' runway, but I would have thought about offering it. KOXC is 8 minutes to the north and has an ILS 36 which might have been considered, although likely the weather was worse. Glad it turned out well, and hope the pilot - and his spouse - recovered from the turmoil and made good decisions about future flying.
Oh, and looks like the controller Jeffrey Schuler actually received an award for his handling - outstanding! Also looks like the aircraft has since changed registration, and online panel photos show no GPS installed, although what looks like a portable Garmin 495 or similar is fitted in one photo. 1970's era avionics only.
I think my only comment on this would be that I fly from Oxford, and because it’s at a slightly higher elevation, the ceilings are often lower. So while that might’ve been a good option the ceilings may have also been more difficult to work with
I don't think anyone is saying "don't use an iPad". There's a difference between "you shouldn't use it" and "you shouldn't NEED it". If you cannot aviate and navigate without the iPad, you shouldn't be flying. It's a tool. It should not be a crutch.
@@bronco5334 I saw a few comments that seemed to indicate an iPad has no place in a cockpit - which I completely disagree with - I don't think there's an airline Captain out there not using his company's tablet. But I concur with you that it cannot be the primary reference, ever. Just like a portable GPS (which I think is what this gentleman was using, along with his iPad) they aren't approved as IFR navigators. If you are using an iPad as primary navigation in IMC, you should have already said 'Mayday,' as you are operating without the required equipment for the flight. Also concur that they can inadvertently become so essential that you cannot maintain SA without - which is a clear training and proficiency problem, for some extra dual time, sim time, etc...
@@pnzrldr Nice. Good work by the controller indeed.
The pilot clearly had some training and it worked out once he started relying on what he did know. But indeed needs help getting up to standard again.
Good for him to ask help on time.
Pilot made a lot of mistakes here but made one huge correct decision, that was to admit he was in trouble and asked for help. May have been embarrassing to admit that he was not up to the task, but at the end of the day he made it back to his own bed with his wife beside him. That's a win and he should be commended for making that decision. Too many pilots would have let their pride get in the way here and tried to press on.
Yes, and ATC was calm and very helpful. I've seen a few of these videos where ATC almost loses it when someone asks for help.
Well said. Totally agree
Yep, there shouldn't be any pride involved when it comes to potentially dying
Asking for help is the most important thing anyone can do when an overwhelming problem arises.
Too often we see pilots unwilling to ask for help when in a bad situation.B
Well said.
ATC did great
Absolutely
He was overwhelmed, task-saturated by being single-pilot IMC and not proficient. But did not lose it, asked for help and got it. Kudos to all involved.
This is proof positive there's a big difference between being current and proficient. Dude was completely unprepared to be in IMC.
And a heavy lack of pre flight and preparation.
Didn't he say he was not current.
Great help by the ATC for a pilot who was in trouble. Some serious retraining needed before he goes up in a plane again.
Great job done by ATC
Props to the pilot. He admitted he’s behind the plane and asked for help. So much better than those other pilots who just can’t seem to admit it. This can happen to any GA pilot who isn’t flying imc all the time. Sucks about all the negative comments. I’d like to see some of you admit you’re behind the plane and say you need a little hand. I hope this guy went up and did some goggle flying to get back on track but props to everyone involved.
Asking for help is a very important skill, not just when flying a plane.
Too many people never learn it, especially men, and encounter failure as a result.
People should ask for help more, it is not a sign of weakness but of intelligence.
Pilot was practically already in a death spiral due to disorientation in the clouds. ATC did an amazing job. After having seen a few IFR crash videos, hearing "my navigation appears broken" gives me the chills.
must have been a interesting conversation with the "co-pilot" that day!
😂
ATC needs a medal for this one
Looks like the controller Jeffrey Schuler actually received an award for his handling of the event.
Best controller ever!!
thank god it was a guy that actively gets himself involved.
if it was someone else who'd have waited for the pilot to fix his "gps" issues...
Dude... these controllers were legendary!!! That pilot was lucky.
Fantastic ATC with expertise and patience. That pilot needs a wake-up call. Going up depending on GPS nav with weak iPad batteries? And get that aircraft in the shop. If fuel gauge shows 1/4 full on an empty tank, the grim reaper is your co-pilot.
Exactly. And great ATC
Well... it was no grim-reaper, but wife must've surely looked like one after deplaning!
The grim reaper was the pilot.
This flight was his wake up call, no doubt
Also telling ATC he had 8-10 gallons remaining as if ATC has memorized the fuel consumption rate of every aircraft. Provide that in hours or minutes my man! "90 minutes of fuel remaining"
Fabulous ATC, that's the kind of guy to have as your controller if you ever get in trouble. I hope the pilot appreciated it!
Apparently he got an award for how this was handled.
@@rogerwilco2 Glad to hear that, it's a well deserved award without doubt!
No damage to property, no injuries and not fatalities! Great work everyone. Those judging the PIC know that any recreational pilot can get in over their head, but this guy asked for help, without ego or fear of getting busted and it’s because of that an amazing controller was able to help him get down safely.
I hate to say this about a fellow pilot but he had no business being up there in those conditions. What a disaster!
I fly professionally (search & rescue) and have been a pilot for 34 years… pilots like this worry me a lot.
It’s not that he got into a bad situation, more that he went up in the first place being so ill-prepared.
I hope he gets some continuance / refresher instruction.
For sure, but he recognized he was messed up and got help. He also remained well composed through the ordeal. ATC saved his and his wifes lives, no question about it 👍
Amazing ATC! He just saved at least two lives that day. I wish him perfect health and happiness and true appreciation of his work.
“Yea, one of the VORs should work”. Message to the wife. He took you into bad weather with just an iPad and no understanding of his equipment is inexcusable. He’s unsafe. NEVER fly with him again.
‘Additional Training Required’.
He was totally reliant on his IPad but also forgot to charge it.
Exactly what I was thinking - this is an unsafe pilot. The nonchalantness and lack of basic plane maintenance - eh, one of them should work, oh I got plenty of fuel, shit one tank is empty now......
Sounded like primary gps failed and the ipad was backup
@@joshuacheung6518 sounded more like he was unprepared to fly
That controller saved at least two lives that day and possibly more on the ground! Most excellent ATC! That pilot needs some remedial training ASAP! I doubt his wife will ever fly with him again so just sell that plane, move on and keep everyone else safe!
he should trade it in for a nice big park model Airstream trailer and keep his feet on the ground. Scary to have folks like him in the air space above us.
Seconds from losing it in the clouds. ATC saved him in that instant.
Honestly can relate to this guy. My first solo IFR flight was a couple months after I passed my check ride. I took off fine but quickly went into IMC and felt majorly disoriented. I had flown in IMC a few times before with my CFII and never had anything that bad. Luckily the cloud tops were only around 2500 and popped out on top and was able to look outside and get past the disorientation keeping me from focusing on my instruments. I had filed locally to shoot some practice approaches and dropping back into IMC I got a dot below glideslope and Tower gave me an altitude alert. It felt like I was all over the place every time I entered the clouds. After a couple approaches at a nearby airport, I noticed my NAV light breaker had popped to top it all off. I just got vectors back to my home airport, landed, and got out of the plane. IMC is tough for a solo pilot. I was newly minted and had been doing a ton of instrument training so I felt proficient. I had never been disoriented like that in the cockpit before. I powered through and made it out safely. I have since flown in IMC just fine, and it was probably just my nerves getting to me with my first time going solo. The biggest thing is not giving up because no one else is there to take the controls and major kudos to this guy for admitting he had a problem and getting help. We can train every day, but if we can’t admit when we’ve gotten ourselves into more than we can handle because we have to be big brave pilots for the armchair pilots listening to our atc calls on youtube, that’s when we become unsafe. Good decision making can still happen after we’ve gotten ourselves into bad situations with poor decision making.
Asking for help is a very important skill that many never learn.
2:30 "Thought I was Sir, am I still turning?" Pilot was in full disorientation - I'm not a pilot but this sent shivers down my spine. ATC saved the day here.
the pilot was referring the "am I turning" to the radar lag in the ATC. He was saying that he is already levelled the airplane but the ATC was still asking him to level the plane which the pilot responded that am I turning which means is he still turning on the radar. Don't make comments without thinking for once.
@@malavpatel1135 rich of you to assume I wasn't thinking. Put yourself in this pilot's shoes. If he's in IMC and has spatial disorientation, the pilot is confused as to whether he may have an instrument failure or some kind of motion feeling. I doubt the pilot is thinking about the ATCs radar lag.
Never flown a plane but I have lost orientation when scuba diving. I was swimming in a 30° nose down angle, thinking it was level. I know that bubbles go straight up but they 100% looked like they were going over my shoulder. And just before I surfaced the water's surface looked like it was sloping. I can well imagine the pilot being unsure whether his plane was really level.
That said, ATC did awesome job stemming the rising panic and unloading the pilot of tasks.
Btw, Ipad is NOT legal or approved for primary navigation nor
should it be used for such, it is only a tool to partially assist. You must use planes instruments and actual paper charts/approach plates. If you rely on tablets more than 35-40%, you dont belong in the plane up front.
Absolutely
That is true for navigation, but there is no requirement for paper charts. I have electronic charts on my iPad and iPhone and in the panel. This pilot’s problem was only partially related to his reliance on the iPad; it was a primarily a lack of basic instrument proficiency.
Many EFBs are approved for being your "charts" and "approach plates" but I do agree that having paper backup is never a bad thing.
Uhh… paper charts?? Either you’ve been away from aviation for the last decade, or you’ve never ventured past microsoft flight sim. Either way, you don’t know what you’re talking about…
I thought i heard him say the ipad was a backup
After his engine failed, I half expected him to say, "Oh great, there goes my hat". Freaking knucklehead. 😵💫
I ran out of fuel. We are gonna be up here all day trying to land.
You gotta empathize here. I’ve been at work or doing something and have bit off more than I can chew. And you start feeling overwhelmed. And a little panic sets in. And suddenly you aren’t thinking straight. Suddenly all you want is to get on the ground. Maybe you had too much coffee, or not enough. Didn’t sleep well. Had a fight with your spouse… whatever it is you can be thrown off. You have to just fly that airplane and get down.
Fly the plane..It looked like for a moment there he was going to lose it. DAMN!
Bravo to ATC!!! Excellent controller
He got really close to "178 seconds to live" there, props on ATC for recognizing the task saturation, confirmation bias and then breaking that pattern and getting that poor guy down.
He managed to dodge ending up on Dan Gryder's GA fatality list which is good.
When the controller said "you get your wings level and I will take care of the navigation" I felt like a savior just arrived. The ATC talked like he was a pilot saving another pilot. Very moving. Give that controller an award.
Great good from ATC (old school). FAA needs to get involved and have a “talk” with this pilot.
Great ATC
This pilot did a great job. Clearly just a hobby, and he asked for help as soon as he knew he was in over his head.
That controller seemed to know the fundamentals better than the pilot. I understand how complications can make a person’s brain wander, but he should know to fly first always. That was a very close call. I love how the controller kept it cool with his tone at all times. That probably saved the day.
Well done to ATC and to the pilot for asking for assistance.
If he and his wife land safely, I have a feeling that it is going to be a long, tense drive home.
If he owns that plane it'll be on ebay before they get home...
I think he crashed the car on the way home, looking on the back seat for an iPad charger
A generous controller...Thank you sir.
Will that make the Archie considerations? I don’t think that guy would have made it without N90. “Just fly the plane” “let me worry about navigation” is the best advice they can ever give!
Mah god... Navigation failures and fuel gauges showing incorrect quantities... Engine failure due to a tank running dry while still showing 1/4 of a tank is some scary stuff in IMC.
Nice to see the Belgrade Airport Control Tower on the thumbnail.
Great controller. Still blows my mind how so many Pilots can't fly without their iPads and GPS
Even with a generous U.S. instrument rating how could he become so inept in ‘ten years’? He must have had procedure and safety drilled in back then.
Jeesh... I always have have my iPad connected to a USB battery bank sitting in the footwell pocket. That way BOTH the USB battery bank and iPad battery must be drained before I have issues, and even then I can still hook it up to the aircraft's panel USBs if need be. AND I keep an older iPad (charged) in the seatback pocket. and if all else fails..paper charts in the seatback pocket too.
Give a look at the paper charts every now and then, I do a lot of hiking and it’s very easy to lose track of what’s what on a paper chart when you’re used to GPS/iPad
@@OCinneideFortunately, the paper charts are identical to the digital ones.
There was no GPS when I learned to fly. There were VOR, NDB, DME, Localizers, and lat/long fixes. And no video screens showing where we were. And a bunch of paper charts and approach plates.
Same here.
Ditto.
When I got my ATP, an NDB approach and a DME arc was part of the package on my practical
Man that is gentleman’s flying. I want to have a part time stake in some Cessna and just get a bunch of hood time with a safety pilot. No EFBs or GPS all conventional navigation and paper and pencil. Fortunately and unfortunately the U.S. is moving away from the VOR system and trying to go entirely RNAV or RNP as legend has it
Me too. Old school and damn proud!
The excitement at fly-ins when someone turned up with a portable GPS for the first time!
Legend says his iPad is still at 10%
😂
Honestly how do you not bring an extra power pack with you to recharge or charge on the go. Ridiculous
@@n8ryderit sounded like he had another hardwired gps on it plane that failed and ipad was just a last resort
and still turning left
Clearly happened some time ago, VOR Rwy 24 approach is not a current approach for some reason. The only non-RNAV approach left is the ILS/LOC Rwy 06
Sir
Very correct. I couldn’t verify the date. That’s why didn’t mention
Ooohwee that tank switch was an absolute spanner
Thank you ATC.
pilot controllers are golden . Great job sir.
AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE...don't ever forget that. we flew many years without Ipads or even GPS. This guy seems to have a bit of a lax attitude toward his flying. I'm glad he survived this time, but I doubt he even takes the lessons to heart.
I've never heard a pilot so comfortable with being incompetent before. "Yeah, I'm kind of all over the place up here. But we've got loads of fuel, so we can go another couple of hours here!" 😖
Not panicking probably saved his life. Keeping a level head through a GPS failure and fuel tank exhaustion is no easy task.
@@iv76erson03I think not knowing how badly he was flying helped him stay calm, ignorance is bliss as they say.
Good lord when I learned to fly all we had was a sectional laid across our laps with a course drawn in pencil on it and our waypoints marked and the distance and estimated time it would take to reach each waypoint based on or flight planning using forecasted winds at different altitudes to compute our headings and ground speed and maybe one OMNI (VOR) receiver. Before I retired from flight instructing a few years ago I taught my students to learn this procedure and take me on a cross country using nothing but that procedure. Every student always thanked me for it. Most said it was a lot more fun than lumbering along watching a GPS.
wow, I was looking at that plane overflying my house and heard the engine go out for a second when he went towards the water, I thought it was some sort of training flight, simulating engine failure in IMC, but was wondering what school would train like going in an out of clouds seemed pretty erratic, by the time I managed to connect to live ATC he had already been cleared for landing and seemed pretty uneventful, so I just assumed it was some very advanced training lol.
Good, the pilot stayed somewhat calm and could still follow instructions
Safety data can show technology has made flying easier which means safer but without technology crutches pilots have become less safe. The FAA has released an advisory circular saying as much to remind pilots and training depts to remember basics skill levels.
Everyone is piling on this guy but if his panel GPS died in IMC, that's tough. His iPad was obviously backup if he has a panel GPS. Give him props for staying cool and asking for help.
It’s a wonder that planes even flew up until the late 90’s. 🙄🙄
I watch a lot of these video's and sometimes the pilot's and ATC get terse with one another, but when the chips are down and a pilot is in trouble the ATC always seem to go above and beyond. Kudo's to this controller!!
Welcome to our channel. I hope u liked the video
So many men lost their lives trying to impress a woman. Kudos to the pilot keeping calm (probably crying inside), listening to the ATC. And of course big applaud to the atc community saving their lives. You dnt get that patience and empathy flying airliners.
Good job by the pilot for asking for help and eventually realizing his limits. With the armchair pilots roasting him here, I hope other pilots will not be ashamed to ask for help because they think the UA-cam "experts" will judge them harshly.
This animation was quite off, especially towards the end. It showed the aircraft landing on runway 24, while he actually landed on runway 29. The visuals were quite wrong with respect to what we heard on the radio.
Assuming he's flying legitimate IFR... which means he must be using an approved GPS powered by the main bus as a primary nav source... if that system fails it is NOT his fault, nor is it pre-flight negligence. ATC switching him over to VOR was a great move. Pilot was compliant with all commands and both sides did well.
First priority is always to fly the aircraft. If you can’t navigate communicate. ATC will get you down they care more than you think.
Remember, these guys are up there with you. In a Mooney, no less. This is the result of doing 6 approaches a year, although I doubt he was current. I recommend every other year, take an IPC!!!! Whether you're current or not or need it or not. It could save your life.
Is a flying re-examination not required in the U.S. every two years?
@@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935 Not a re-examination, per se, but a flight review which is administered by a flight instructor. Most instructors treat it as a formality.
First class ATC !
He never did make that turn for RWY29. I used to work at this airport and know it quite well.
A clear lesson in what NOT being properly prepared and equipped looks like. Great save by ATC! Phew....
Excellent job by the ATV to recognise that he was in trouble and talk him in. He may have saved the guys butt.
Controller was a hero! I wonder if that pilot had any idea how much deep shit he was in!
Have we forgotten to fly the airplane on the instruments given.
Been using GPS for years now. We used them when I was an Blackhawk crew chief. Anytime any kind of equipment fails it is stressful. Pilot was good. He explained what was happening and was able to figure it out. There are multiple things going on and he had trouble and told them.
@@drn13355yea pilot did totally fine and these people saying he needs remedial training or he shouldn’t be flying IFR are ridiculous keyboard pilots.
@@drn13355GPS doesn’t fly the plane though. Even without GPS he should have been able to fly an approach to minimums if he was rated and current. He just didn’t know how to use all the toys. And probably list the iPad. Today’s pilots will be lucky if they make it through 500 hours safely.
This was rarely ever the case.
I did my IFR in the early 2000s. NDB approaches in mountainous terrain. We had a KLN90 or something like that in the dash.
My instructor said… as the needle slowly oscillated back and forth about ten degrees “the ADF keeps us legal… the GPS keeps safe!”
This current batch of Pilots never knew how to!!!
Why not always have two GPS or more on board? Handheld and panel units.
ATC probably saved two lifes here. It was a good thing that the pilot admitted that he totally messed up, so that ATC knew in what trouble he was.
legend says this guy still has 1hr 30' on his empty tank.
😂😂
2 rules I have learned so far:
Be civil
Be humble and acknowledge that you are in trouble.
and you will get help and land safely.
His wife needs to stay out of that plane when this guy is the pilot. ATC saved their lives.
Reminds me of a cartoon in I think plane and pilot magazine. This was shortly after the first electronic flight aids were released on the market. In the cartoon the pilot is screaming mayday and when ATC asks the nature of his emergency his answer was "my electronic flight computers batteries just died!" I still use an E6B mainly because if you become dependent on technology it will let you down one day.
Top comment sir! 👍
If you are landing in IMC at an unfamiliar airport you are going to depend on some technology whether you like it or not. Well, unless you have a controller help you in with a PAR, I guess.
@@overhead18 I only need the technology my aircraft is equipped with.
@@bigal1863 Which is technology you said you do not want to depend on. Just say you want to depend on some technology, but not other technology. Honestly, I don't care either way, I just hate to see people talking stuff about pilots needing technology in hard IMC, then mentioning freaking charts.
Dont be stupid, analog technology is not the same as digital.
Way too much dependency on electronic devices and not enough on the aircraft's instrumentations.....
Dude I was a Blackhawk crew chief for 22 years. You ever been flying IFR and have equipment failures? It is stressful. This pilot did a great job of explaining what was going on and maintaining composure. Christ people are so quick to judge have no clue. And GPS has been used since at least the mid 90s. It isn't some fancy new equipment.
@@drn13355 Dude...(lol),, i'm talking about the iPad... No need to present me with your resume, means nothing to me...
@@jswyman-ll3dr I mean he did say his gps failed. So he had to use radio nav, which he did.
Admitted his situation and lived.
Fuel gauges only have to be accurate at ZERO. good grief, what a tons of errors here 😮
Theres about 40% ATC operators that are pilots in the twr these days.
Is it!
I'm not sure he could have flown it with a GPS either. Great call to ask for help though and awesome ATC saved the day.
He will be a better pilot moving forward. I would after that.
😅
Quite obviously this pilot was able to fly without GPS and his iPad -- as demonstrated by him staying on the VOR radial. The fact that his EFB (the iPad) was on its way out is a legitimate problem if there is no backup. You need charts to fly IFR. That he flew IFR without having the iPad plugged in (and some backup, like at least a phone) is a serious error if that IFR flight was planned...
This guy has a pilot license?
Yeah
This turned ugly when his awareness of his fuel situation turned out to be way off.
Some lessons about proficiency and old fuel gauges in this one.
Been flying for 35 years and have never relied on a fuel gage. IPads are handy and could be last ditch, marginal attitude back up but you need to be able to fly without it. Pilot decision making and proficiency clearly a problem here. The only thing that moved this incident from “tragically unforgivable” to “traumatically unforgivable” was his mumbled admission of incompetence and the controller’s immediate grasp of the problem.
Interesting that ATC just sort of knew that there would be a fuel concern.
Let's just admit it. Empty tank at a quarter gauge throws off the estimate of the other tank too. So he suddenly had a lot less fuel than he thought he was working with.
Whatever happened to flight planning, especially with setting up your VORs, regardless of GPS? Sounds very much like he drove his car with wings, and almost broke down on the highway. Good thing he could pull off onto the shoulder, so to speak. Awesome controller.
I understand what pilot feels in this imc it happens once. I struggle with up down drafts too much in imc getting tired and headache begins some point you give up and just fly whiteout checking directions and level. Atc catch that point and save the pilot. Now when i see tick layer of mist infront of me don’t try my chance. Try to flow under it or turn back no one will give you medal when you reach destination.
So fuel wise he had no idea how far he had flown and how much he had taken but was purely going by a stuck needle.
At what point was he going to notice?
He was embarrassed to say that he wasnt fully aware what he was doing.. And that leads to big problems..
How did we ever manage to fly airplanes before the invention of GPS and iPads?
I wonder, did he actually manage to circle to land on 29 or he went straight down to 24?
I would have sent him to Bradley for an ASR approach, much better radar there to help him get down and stay straight and level and call out his course
It pains me to see a pilot forgetting the #1 priority -- flying the plane, i.e. aviate. Then going from thinking there was about 1.5 hours of fuel to actual one tank is dry...yeesh! It just sounds like the dude didn't do any fuel calculation based on actual flight time and conditions. His wife was lucky they had that controller.
Soon, people won't be able to use the bathroom without a computer telling them what to do.
It’s like VATSIM, but lives are actually at stake.
When was this? Only a few miles away from me.
Not sure about the date of occurrence
Great ATC! Unfortunately it’s runway 24 he eventually landed at not 29 as instructed.
Me: aw crap he's behind the airplane
Him letting 1 tank run dry*** AW SHIT HES REALLY BEHIND THE AIRPLANE
Cleared to land on 29, but video shows him landing at 24. Something's wrong.
ATC saved his life. Great job. Pilot needs more practice.
My ADS-B receiver was tracking him the entire time.