So sorry about the Kobe crash. Yes, unfortunately it will likely turn out to be what this video explores. The report will probably end up calling it inadvertent IMC, and loss of spatial orientation resulting in loss of control. For those that are coming here trying to understand what happened - an aviation expert friend of mine did a great write up and has linked to an analysis video with more info: facebook.com/dan.gryder/posts/10157955156959866
Him Bike that’s how most IFR to IMC accidents happen. The Pilot feels rushed and takes a chance at the weather clearing up. Almost everytime the weather gets worse. It’s sad everytime someone dies due to weather. They are always 100% preventable just by waiting for it to clear :/
@@FlightChops That write up definitely helps explain things and why he would suddenly turn left and head down. Not a pilot, but I can definitely see how SD played a role. I lived in upstate NY near the Canadian border for many years and had my fair share of being caught in a lake effect snow squall while driving from Buffalo to Syracuse. The whiteout conditions make you lose all spatial orientation of where you are on the road and it feels like you are starting to spin even though you know you aren't - it's a very scary sensation. I would have to just follow the dim tail lights on the semis ahead of me and pray that they weren't veering off and taking me with them.
i also think that this video saves lives i did same situation on purpos but with my instructor just to see how an 180 in real IFR (it was verry bumpy ) would be. And then i went for IFR and from experience i can say even if you mainly fly VFR it is an backup and makes your other flying less stressful ,.. super video thx
My professional opinion is that an additional part of the PPL should include being able to control the plane in IMC and the checkride should add the following: Recognize the emergency, maintain control under the hood for at least 15 minutes while simulated radar vectors to VFR conditions are given. Or (~2030 when most planes are GPS equipped) the checkride should include emergency, under the hood, and shoot a GPS approach.
As a 20yr flight instructor, I admire your humbleness, chain of decision making and reasoning, and most importantly the education derived from a difficult mission. In my years, I'd say most tire kickers would have embraced the ego boost upon completion rather than the true understanding and desire for continued education. Well done cap'n...
My instructor often talked about the accident chain. You have to break the chain to not become another statistic. I love to fly, but I don't hesitate to cancel a flight if something isn't right, especially weather. I have always considered weather to be the biggest threat of all.
I am an airline pilot, I am a Captain on a B-767 for a major cargo airline flying internationally. I will tell you what I do at every opportunity, because my life, my crew and my aircraft depend on it. I fly instrument approaches EVERY chance I get, even in VFR conditions, down to 200 feet before I look at the runway. Being CURRENT in instrument flying is different then being PROFICIENT in instrument flying. Practice, practice, practice is the key! Anyone can fly a visual approach, but not everyone can fly an ILS down to minimums and land, if they are not PROFICIENT. You MUST practice! My guess would be Kobe's pilot was a current instrument pilot, but he was not a proficient instrument pilot.
b767greg Funny I started out fueling airplanes working as an avionics technician flying Beech 18’s and ended up as a captain flyingDC-8’s many years ago. Now I have been flying Barbie jets for about 19 years. But I do remember a bunch of screw ups. And seen many accidents that had fatalities. If you watch air disasters on the Smithsonian channel. Watch nuts and bolts. The Emery Freighter that crashed in Sacramento Mather field. I grounded that airplane the night before because of the window that was delaminated. Ended up crashing because of a cotter pin missing on the stabilizer in the back elevator and jammed the elevator,tor and the crew passed away as they crashed into an auto auction yard. Somebody was watching over me upstairs that day. Now living on an air park with a Cessna 206 and powered paraglider you have to be extra careful and not complacent. Be safe keep it sunny side up.
I totally agree with this pilot. I don't know everything about special VFR clearance, but I'm pretty sure you still have to pay attention to the VFR Cloud distance. Fog is a type of cloud and they were in the fog prior to the crash.
After 6 years, your video remains timeless. We can only imagine but Kobe’s heli was in a ravine filled with mountain terrain with heavy fog probably saw nothing but white before impact. RIP 😞🙏 Thank you for sharing
One of the things that impresses me about pilots (those I watch anyway) is their willingness to admit mistakes and their strong desire to learn from them. I applaud you for doing so as well. - Someone Who Wants to Learn to Fly
Get there itis!! On my last tower landing on my solo xcountry the wx brf showed a convective sigmet moving at 25mph to intercept my path to home base----i drew the clouds right on my sectional (pre- iPhone era) and calculated I could beat the storm--the owner of the aircraft was at the airport to watch me land...he wanted his airplane back he he..
Thanks again. The list is a good time, but the most important things in the UK, but the use the search 91 9999999 , I am not a 9999999990000 00 00 , 06 the
Once, when I only had about 100hrs in my log book, I got caught up in some building clouds heading back to Orlando from Gainesville in a VFR-only 152 and asked the ATC for a descent down to clear WX. He was busy, and said "I'll get you a new altitude in a minute", but never did. I called him up, told him I was descending, hit the IDENT button, reduced power, trimmed for 500fpm downhill, and poked the nose through a hole... that immediately began to close up. I lost sight of the ground for maybe 15-20 seconds - but they were the LONGEST 15-20 seconds of my life. I was laser focused on the attitude indicator, and kept it dead-nuts level while descending at a pretty good clip... But the whole time my brain was telling me that I was inverted, climbing, and slowing all at the same time. It was terrifying, and eye-opening. I cleared the bottoms, and let out the breath I was holding. My passenger (now my wife) never had a clue how hard I was working the yoke. We landed, and I was signing up for an instrument course at the FBO that day. I am a multi/commercial pilot now, rated in the Shorts 360 and Beech 1900 with a 07 JAN 2019 ATR-72 transition start date, and with more than one "bad day at the office" in my log book... But I will NEVER forget that flight, even 3,419.5 flight hours later.
Thanks so much for your post as well. I haven’t begun flight school yet but it’s on my list for Spring 2020. I’ve flown commercially both here in the US and Internationally to Europe a few times. Additionally I obtained my Skydiving license some years back and managed about 125 jumps. Small stuff to be sure however I’ve had the pleasure of jumping out of quite a few types of aircraft as well as flying in them. That said, an early instructor taught me it’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground. This came true for me 3 separate times, and I swore it was beyond my control but a short while later realized no it wasn’t. The last one was similar to yours, however under canopy and trying to find my way through a cloud bank to the LZ while a hell of a storm blew up. At approximately 3k feet it began to hail and I was lost in white. I quickly lost orientation both vertically and horizontally at one point swearing down was up, etc... I learned that day to set my personal minimums accordingly especially re airspeed at altitude (both jump and approach to airport) as well as visibility. This stuff is real and when you end up in these situations you understand pretty much instantly how people die. Anyway, thanks for sharing.
Darrell Parkhill i’m a new pilot and you really helped my visualize this to see how it can happen. It sounds pretty surreal. In school i always remember asking myself how it’s possible to lose orientation.
specter290 the flight was on Sunday morning. There are or were many empty parking lots he could’ve landed and said it’s Too foggy. They’d all be alive now. He was rated for IFR but he was not authorized for IFR. He broke the rules. I’m sure he flew in fog 100s of times Fog in SoCal is like snow in Canada. But this time the fog was way thick witnesses said.
In the aftermath of Kobe and his daughter and fellow passengers and pilot, this video helps me understand. Thanks for making this video. Your work should show other pilots the problem of VFR into instrument flying.
You have humility. So you don't afraid to admit your mistakes and question your own judgement. What makes you a better pilot every flight. Your an inspiration! Love your videos! Keep it coming! And stay safe!!!
20year experience and yo ass knew u knew dam well you shouldn't of been flying with them people asking for permission to fly in such a condition knowing possible risks u put all of them
Even the Most Seasoned Pilot can fall victim to "Get There Itis"... I've seen it happen too many times to scoff at... Speaking from personal experience: Once you reach the Decision Threshold and make that final decision that places you into "Get There Itis" decisions begin to make you act. And sometimes you don't walk away. Edit: Or worse yet, I walked away and someone I loved did not.....
The Baddest in America its easy to say that, but when thats ur income and you want to keep your very important customers happy you will do what you have to. I think having the helicopter circle for that amount of time threw the pilot off...If the tower didn’t make them wait so long they would be alive today
At 65, I have just begun lessons and having a FANTASTIC time.....but constantly learning.....your video just confirms you never stop even after your many hours.....great video, thank you so much for your honesty and humility in reviewing your situation......great respect from Nottingham England!
I’m here after trying to learn about VFR/IMC conditions after reading some pilot reddit discussions about the helicopter crash Kobe Bryant and others had yesterday . Thanks for this video RIP Mamba
How about this....IMC almost in any point risks icing. There isnt one fucking helo that can fly into knowen icing so there arnt many strictly helo pilots that fly and log actual instrument time....it other words helos mostly suck. They are for 2 things, either your are flying into a shitty situation like to resuce somebody or for your pax to go shoot people....or you are a pax in a shitty situation where you are getting ate by natives or you need to get to a medical center....there are really any good helo rides in a perfect world.
@@dhardy6654 Especially icing of the pitot tube which indicates airspeed, and the wings causing turbulence in the laminar flow over the wing and reducing lift or increasing stall potential. But the real killer is relying on the senses using VFR in IMC; that is why you must rely on IFR in IMC and trust the horizontal indicator and altimeter vs. what you see outside. However, if the airspeed is wrong well; just remember what the usual throttle amount is and try to keep the range consistent. Use VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) to locate the airport and call ATC. Vector for a landing and try to slowly descend until the ground is visible and ground speed can be gauged. ATC can report actual wind speed and direction to help gauge what the actual airspeed is. Not something for the faint of heart.
@@brendanwood1540 here next time....provided you have fuel, just do a 180 and get out of the weather and land some place else? When you say real killer? That part takes about 15 seconds to a minute and its all over. Id also tell you....include the turn and bank coordinator....keep that ball on the bottom. If you watch this gay canadian guy that ball was all over the place....thats just embarrassing.
Thank you so much for sharing this , I am a fire rescue chopper pilot and even at over 10,000 plus hours we still need to remind ourselves stop the process before we get stuck . Thank you again .
Big pat on the back to you for posting and going through everything in detail. It's very helpful. You'll surely help other pilots (like me) think more clearly and make better decisions. I know most pilots would never have shared. I truly appreciate.
As someone looking at learning to fly, these videos are such good info for just how quickly things can get life-threatening. VFR into IMC, icing, proximity to storms, feeling rushed: soberingly deadly and frighteningly easy situations to get into all of them. Thank you for posting, and with great detailed analysis as well.
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. It's clear you were fortunate to know the area so well and could navigate by landmarks. The message here is that pilot's get into trouble usually by a series of small steps and not one big misstep.
I am a 50+ year professional aviator, and now i lecture on General Aviation Safety of Flight. This is a Great Learning and Training video. These two pilots did everything a pilot can do to prepare for a flight. The checked the weather hourly and forecasts, for departure, destination and en-route airports. Notams and pireps for icing. They did not have an Instrument licenses which would probably, would not have changed this flight. The first mistake they made was "Scud Running", many pilots have made this error to a bad outcome. The learning point is watching the flight instruments in the video. As the pilot is talking and getting nervous about the weather, his altitude control is not good and he is rolling the aircraft left and right, very typical when a person gets nervous. As he is approaching the airport he says that is the airport was more than 6 miles away he would have turned back? I dont think he would have, he had already broken his personal minimums; but continued on. This is how we learn and some of us just run out of Luck, which these guys did not!
Really appreciate the dash cam. This video is educational to anyone curious about out-of-window visibility and the gauges on the dash. Considering how fast the weather can get crappy here in the PNW, learning IMC skills is a must. And then trusting your gauges too, another conversation worth having. Hats off to you for a great landing after dealing with 2M visibility.
I realize I'm late to this video. I'm an airline pilot, just getting back into GA after two decades away, and watching you struggle with your decisions and situation is a very good reminder that legal isn't always smart, or safe, or right. As a professional aviator, I'm used to IMC conditions and every flight for work is flied IFR, so it's been a while since I've had to make that go-no go decision based on weather, but this video brought back that cold knife of fear we are all so familiar with. We all know someone who pushed a little too far into the situation and didn't have a good outcome, so I am very gratified to hear of your decision to take instrument training and get the ratings. Kudos on deciding to publish this! Using your channel to help pilots in their decision making is incredibly responsible. Instrument flying really does move the hobbyist into the ranks of the professional aviator, and it'll really make your overall flying both safer and more enjoyable. Being able to fly and complete the mission even when the weather isn't ideal is a special kind of fulfillment and feeling of accomplishment, and I'm looking forward to watching more videos from you on this subject and process! Cheers.
Better Than You I agree. Knowing the latest info from NTSB, you may think that pilot was looking the Sheriff helipad (only one mile behind them, they flew very close by) . If you are having hundreds of millions, so why did you not keep the standards like two pilots which would have greatly helped piloting this big copter in visual. Looks that pilot went to emergency instrument flying and came up up to 2200 feet but then lost control for reason or another, also mechanical failure is not excluded when you apply full escape power. So lot of if’s here.
Jukka O. Parviainen I’m convinced either kobe was being demanding or the Pilot was an idiot. The copter was noted at going over 100 knots at the time of the crash in imc conditions. I’m over it
Jeffrey Williams He just lost it in 2400 feet ie 1500 feet above ground. 2400 is sea level so MLS. Kobe could demand 180 and he started to make it but he did not trust his instruments anymore, he was making hillybilly hollywood stunt escape. Adding to that in his psyche was also a fact that his climb to IMC conditions was unauthorised so he would get consequences anyway. He was thinking himself to be too good and never out of luck. He should stay VFR and if can’t stay then turn back so 180.
As an airline guy, CFI for 37 years. FWIW, looks like to me you did a whole lot of things not only “right” - but also did them “well”. When you took your check ride for the PPL, your examiner probably told you “…this (the PPL) is your license to learn..”. We don’t always get the forecast weather, nor the weather we want. Your’s is a great story of Risk Management. Well done, Sir.
Private Pilot in training here. That was actually terrifying. The lowest vis I have ever done on a solo flight was 6SM with some mist and drizzle on my windscreen, putting me on edge since I was used to more than 9SM visibility with Clear to Few high up, not 6SM Overcast, with clouds less than 1000 feet above me. Glad that I played it safe and turned around. You are a very experienced pilot, and I would rather not think about what would have happened if I, a 20 hour Student Pilot didn't contact tower to get out of the practice area and to the airport when I did. Less than 15 minuets later, clouds rolled making the entire area above 1500AGL IFR. This is a video that I really wish that every pilot should take the time to watch. Thank You Very Much!
I'm an instrument pilot with 2k hours but feel your pain. Absolutely great video and narration. Thank you for the effort put into this production. A similar experience pushed me in 2004 to get my instrument rating. I chose a 10 day immersion course and have used my rating a lot through the years. An instrument rating will not make all flights possible but certainly improves the odds. Again, thank you for the video and experience.
It is amazing how much you have improved in quality and content. Now in 2019 you videos are super pro. Even as you are learning this video is still good.
Hey Bud, Thanks for your courage to post this. It is a quality video that teaches across disciplines. I appreciate your humility and ability, and willingness, to share your lessons learned.
I'm a private pilot with about 450 hours. I passed my instrument written test, and have about 30 hours of instrument training. For me, the difference between flying VFR vis a vis the control of the airplane vs IFR , is like the difference between throwing a bullet and firing a bullet. But having JUST IFR training, never mind the rating, upped my skills by orders of magnitudes. Well worth it.
Wow! I am so thankful you made this video. I came to the US two weeks after you uploaded this. 7 yrs later I've learned English to comprehend what you're saying and now working on my private. Thanks to you I know how important it is to share a story as difficult to admit as it could be, for the greater good of helping others learn from our mistakes. Wonderful video.
Great video! Thanks for taking us along for the ride. One of my safety outs is the "I think I can" rule. When the chance of success gets down to I think I can make it, I find a better option.
As a surgeon, and a pilot, I know I can teach anyone to operate or fly but cannot teach them when NOT to...clinical or aviation judgment to avoid mistakes comes not from skill or talent, but from experience, and wisdom--which of course come from making mistakes....correction, LEARNING from making those mistakes. I have strayed into conditions even as an IFR pilot, UNPREPARED (with charts/tools/readiness), and scrambling to put things together during the crisis only adds to the tension and distractions. What you have done is a constant reassessment, review, communication with tower, and attempted to validate what you were seeing with what might be ahead, correlating with what you know might be behind--plotting exits, developing alternatives, and continuously thinking ahead--that's how every flight should be no matter the weather or conditions. Well done!
Thanks for sharing your experience. You are now a better pilot, I'll guarantee you'll know what to do next time. We learn from our mistakes and mistakes from others so we can become better pilots. Hope by now you have your Instrument ticket and that you are actually flying IFR, because it will built your confidence greatly. There is nothing more satisfying than been in the clouds IFR and arriving on short final to be welcome by runway lights. That's when you know you did everything right. Practice makes perfection. Wish you the best of luck and safe flight.
Glad you did post it, but wish you hadn't waited a year! It just drives home that safety first really must be first, not first-except-for-convenience. This is one of the *most* instructive videos, thanks to your mea culpa, and explanations of just how quickly the best laid plans can go out the window. Well done.
Thanks for sharing this video with the community. Sometimes it can be really hard to share this kind of information with our peers. If a few pilots can recognize the risk factors based on this video, instead of having to experience it themselves, then you'll have done a very real public service and possibly saved a life. A couple of the factors that you encountered here that are worth adding to our weather consideration beyond just ceiling and visibility might be: 1) Indistinct ceiling. You're not "in" or "out" of a cloud, the vis just keeps getting worse. 2) Deteriorating conditions. You knew weather was getting worse since your departure, that trend can (and often does) continue. One final note. This was not "almost" flying VFR in to IMC. This is flying VFR in to IMC. If you're flying in weather that is below basic VFR minimums, then you are in IMC. Call it what it is and help us all be a little bit safer. Thanks again!
I’m also here after learning Kobe’s pilot was flying in the exact same conditions and in VFR Learning a lot. Even after Kobe’s death, I’m still learning from him .
Nice. I'm a former Air Canada Captain. Enjoyed flying in and out of Toronto Island years ago, so I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, but I tip my hat to you; you have the growth mindset and you'll be one of those old (not bold) pilots with lots of tales to tell your grandkids someday. Well done.
Brilliant to see this and how quickly the weather can change and the forecasts can be wrong. A great lesson for us without having to go through this ourselves. Great video!
As a CDL driver hauling 80,000 lbs. in less than fair road, wind and traffic conditions, this video was very understandable. Well done video and ending the video, and of course the actual flying. You read the opposing, rapidly changing conditions, and applied planning from those conditions. Well done. To most watching, this flight might seem simple, but to anyone who is certified and trained to travel in these conditions, we learn real quick, planning a trip may include a plan to not go. Boating is the same as flying. Quick moving fog and running with strictly radar can happen in seconds. Any day you get back to the dock is a good day boating. Any day back on the runway landing, is a good day flying. Always learning. Safety first, fun second. Thank you for posting this video.
I know this video was uploaded over a year ago, but I just wanted to say that you made the right call in uploading it. Who knows, your example of why to get some instrument training may just save a life someday. Especially, if someone is convinced to get the training and then needs to use it to get home safely. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for taking the time to put this video together. It does demonstrate just how easy it is for a VFR pilot to get into a situation that's hard to handle on what should be a short, easy flight.
Just to drive through these squalls is terrifying glad you made it safely, after years of it l finally said no more and stayed home till clear, thanks good video.
Also probably getting ready to change the shirts too. Great flying with a cool head and not a bit of panic. Love your videos. Keep them coming. I can't fly anymore but stay flying through videos like these.
I applaud you for being brave enough to post this. We all need to tell stories of the stupid stuff we’ve done (and for pilots that admission is tough to do as we all have a bit of an ego whether we want to admit it or not). That turn downwind for 33 reminds me of the feeling of my first actual ils to minimums knowing that I was getting closer and closer to the ground but not seeing the airport. Man, that was a weird feeling. I kept saying, “trust your instruments”. I’m glad you got down safe.
Great video and very informative for young pilots. Most of aviation accidents happen due to a sequence of unfortunate events like this that lead to disaster rather than human error or mechanical failure and such examples is what the student pilots need so they develop a mental picture od ahead planning and guessing what might go wrong. Situational awareness and desicion making i think its the most important pilot skills that are rarely discussed.
Thank you. Glad you made it back ok, we just started checking out these kind of shows to really learn more about what the Pilot of Kobe Bryant's Helicopter must have been going through. Thanks so much.
Really well put together and narrated. I got my license when I was 20 and my attitude was far too cavalier. I flew in weather conditions that were definitely not VFR many times. So stupid, but I'm still here :)
Getting an instrument rating , and keeping current , is a very wise decision. It’s great that you shared this video , so others can learn from it. Well done.
Well done! This is an important public service. I bet you'll save lives because you created this HONEST video of your close call. And yeah...I found you doing my own analysis of the ATC recording and flight path of helicopter N72EX's final, tragic flight. #RIPKOBE
Making this video proves that you are a pilot with wisdom. By allowing yourself to face yourself like this with the whole world watching adds to the capability of the pilot. You’re a good pilot because you’re sensible. And it was sensible that you made this video. Thanks. Maybe in the grand scheme of things you’ve saved the lives of others who didn’t get into trouble because of the trouble you got into.
As a forecaster, I can tell you first-hand that lake-effect snow is a difficult forecast. We have tools & techniques, but they can only say yes or no to Lake Effect Snow. Heck, the hi-res models (4-km grid spacing & 20-km resolution) can't resolve multiple bands - we are working on a 4/3-km grid that can resolve 7-km-wide features. The 4-km models are USUALLY sufficient for wind forecasts, but this was the exception to the rule. Also, a TAF is a deterministic forecast product, so you cannot rely on them in a volatile precip. situation as they're either right or wrong. I'm glad you got out safe and have learned a lot from this. Happy flying! -Jaron ShareAviation Username: JaronBreen
Excellent vid. It was a similar, but not quite as drastic an incident as yours, that built a fire under me to get an IFR rating. I was 18 and building hours for my PPL. Many years before transponders were required. It was a clear day, with broken clouds. I figured I could go above the clouds since they were so scattered. That was my first of many No, No's. My idea was to pick the biggest space between the clouds and climb through it . . . well over my 3000ft AGL, legal limit. So I did. I flew above the clouds for awhile, then 180'ed to descend thru the "hole" I came through. It wasn't there. And neither was any other "sink hole". I mean stupidity was rampant that day. But at least I had the presence of mind to fly the Omni to get me on a solid course farther away from incoming and departing IFR traffic.. I didn't want to descend through the clouds and run into someone on IFR cleared to ascend or descend for a certain altitude. I didn't know how thick the cloud layer was, but I wanted to get through it fast. I was sweating and keeping my anxiety at bay so I could keep my head engaged and focussed. I picked a spot, dropped the nose, said an audible prayer, locked every fibre of my being on holding course, eyes glued to the instruments, and self-talked that whatever I may "feel" the attitude of the plane to be, I would stay riveted and fly the instruments. That's all I knew. I made it. Cut short the rest of the flight, I was mentally drained. Began IFR ground school the following week.
Hello Steve...Thank you for posting this experience. It is why I signed up for "Flight Chops" in the first place and is testimony to your motto of "Practice, Review, Improve"....M
I had a similar situation in Dallas and Addison airspace as a student. Ceiling dropped to 1200' with 3 mi. Vis. And traffic all around me with a faulty transponder. NOT FUN! Made it back to Addison safe. I was solo and scared. Thanks for sharing!
This experience is right out of ADM and Risk Management. Needless to say, this is why the FAA places so much empahasis on it. Thank you for posting this as a "training" video, even for experienced pilots.
Good job! I’ve known many pilots myself included who’ve gone IIMC. Back almost 20 years now flying helicopter in the gulf it wasn’t a matter of “if”, but “when” you’re going to “punch in”. You train for it all the time but when it happens for real it’s always the same: Doubt Fear Shame Remember your training, transition to instruments, and fly the aircraft. Sometimes you have to do a 180 sometimes you climb, sometimes, you hold steady. That’s why they call it situational awareness. You have to know what your plan is going to be before you fly. WX reporting is so much better now, but SA is non negotiable and determines the ultimate success or failure of IIMC.
Wow! So much information that I can use for future flying. I really appreciate your total honesty. Very well made, with excellent narration. Thanks so much!
Wow, this helps a lot to understand a bit more about the situation Kobe and the others were possibly going through. Even these conditions were frightening. R.I.P. Mamba.
IMC flew into me recently during a solo practice flight. I had to fully rely on instruments for about 15 to 20 minutes with zero visibility. Professionalism of ATC saved my life. I am glad I am not the only one who's had beef with clouds. ;-)
Tales like this are important to fess up to and tell. I scared myself once with night flying most likely tainted by early symptoms of hypoxia (was only around 6,000, but again, it was night and home elevation is around 750'). Had an uneventful night X-C but the fuel pump was down at home base so I had to refuel at an airport 10 miles away. I'd made the hop between the two plenty of times, but for whatever reason, when I should have been over the top of the home field, I realized I was far off to the southwest - I'd disoriented myself a full 90 degrees despite being between the huge city lights of Chicago and Milwaukee. I stayed calm and used the GPS to get my bearings (hadn't even had it on since I 'knew my way') and confidence back and landed uneventfully. As it turned out, that was my last flight nearly 11 years ago (I'm working on getting my medical and a BFR to get current again). I didn't stop because of that flight explicitly, but it was a good sign that the recent birth of my child and other aspects of life meant I wasn't flying enough to stay sharp, especially at night, and flying/currency just sort of drifted away. Glad you made it out of this learning/teaching moment!
Well done!! Your honesty is refreshing, and this is exactly what is needed for pilots to get IMC training in their sights... I tip my hat to you... glad to hear & see your safe..... You are a pilot I would fly with...
The IFR training will be worth the effort. If you don't have FSX to get you started in IFR familiarity then perhaps the investment should be considered. Yea, I know it's just a similator but when it comes to sitations like this one, every little bit of an edge is helpful. Also, stay brushed up on VOR/ADF pattern flying. Cheers for the success, Captain.
I appreciate the fact you shared this. I know it happened 2 years ago, but still relevant. I had 25 hours in a Piper Tomahawk, and the flight line had to "JUMP" the battery because someone left the "MASTER" on. Thought it was just like a car - Clear skys 10 miles VIZ. Flew for a 1.5 hours around Long Beach (KLGB) - Tried to find ATIS, but no radio...all electrical was dead (FLYING ON MAGNETOS). Flew the Airport Course at 3000, They hit me with the Signal Lights (Green, thank god). I knew there were different light patterns, so I was actually looking at my Flight Manual for the proper page while flying Solo (maybe 2.5 hours total). Ended up landing on the Wrong Side of the Airport. Sitting on Taxiway, wait for the "FOLLOW ME" truck (That never came). Tower hit me with another Green light...I was taxiing when he flashed me a "RED" - I stopped before the commercial runway, and C130 landed in front of me. Holy S**T!!! - Taxied back to Flight Center (Piper Air Service) - No one was worried I just had the biggest scare in my Aviation History - Last Flight was in 1983 (24 years old!!!) - Wish I still flew, but had a real scare!!!! Hope you found this helpful. Your decision making was questionable, but you analyzed it properly as "GETHOMEITIS". Again, hopefully you still fly and are safe!!!! Best Always.
I grew up along the shores of Lake Superior and lake effect snow was pretty common. This is a great video and I appreciate you sharing this. So many people have too much pride to share, let alone admit their mistakes. You could save some lives. Thank you.
You are absolutely correct. Take as long as you need to but DO invest in instrument flight training. Just keep on training until your check ride. The confidence and the very rational of instrument flying will definitely serve you. Every hour spent will add to you for certain. There’s is much you can do for yourself at home also with “flight simms” too. Apply what you’ve learned and become a fanatic challenging the various approaches available. Then be even better when you get back in the cockpit. This is your life you are training to save, as well as others. I was a commercial rotorcraft rated guy and didn’t even have 600 hrs invested back in 2000...while out logging night VFR, just keyed up the runway lights for a right base. While still on downwind, a squal from off shore came from behind and on shore through the channel overtaking from aft right. Everything went “white” with the glare from the landing light. Visual reference was gone. I’m sure in one breath I sucked all the air out of the cockpit from sheer surprise. Being alongside an experienced high timer....he reached and shut the landing lights off, and calmly said keep her steady and slowly descend. I still had a picture of where we were in my head. We broke out underneath just like a curtain, and was able to turn base and touched down and shut down for one hell of a down pour, which passed just as quickly as it arrived. In Hawaii...this stuff happens. That was all I needed to start instrument training. Even basic 6 pac flying is from a different perspective. Moral of the story is: don’t be frightened into IFR training, better to have it together when the unfavorable moment arrives, and you will have a handle and options vs “oh shit”...(just being real) 🤙🏽
None the less you like a pro. Kept cool and as I learned the words, "just fly the plane stupid", as alternatives of tirning back and having bad weather behind you close in you could have been trapped. Great learning video. I had similar coming out of Germany Frelenshophin Airport on Lake Constance. We got in soup coming over the alps entering France dared not turn back but boy did i learn a lesson. Charles DeGal Control knew we were not VFR and keot on talking to us. Finally light came up from a break in the clouds below it could not have been 150 meters across, I turned and literally dove down into the hole praying no one else did the same thing and leveled off on the bottom of the clouds. Going over the Alps in an unpressurized 1976 Warrier with an 180 Lycome was risky without full visibility which made turning back a potentially deadly choice.
This was an excellent video to post. I’ve watched it previously a couple years ago, but never commented. It’s extremely important for all pilots to familiarize and trust their instruments, regardless of their future flight plans. When you’re flying in VFR, always act like you’re in IMC and learn to trust your instruments, regardless of the situation. IFR training is crucial for all pilots, regardless. I do this in all aspects of my life, whether it’s going offshore in a boat, or flying. Always know your most basic instruments. Always have a backup plan, and always have a diversion. Always keep the next closest airport in your head. Always watch your instruments and train your mind what it’s like coming into any airport in the dark. Focus on everything, and know your surroundings. Trusting your inner ear and ignoring what’s in front of you on the dash is what kills pilots.
I don’t know if you’ll see my comment this late and in the muck of so many others. But as a student pilot that craves learning as much about safety as possible, PLEASE keep posting things like this. I respect you greatly for doing this, finally breaking the inertia to do so. I’m also a rock climber and they publish an annual book of all the accidents that happen and what led up to them. It has made me such a safer and more attuned climber. These videos make the entire community better. You may be saving lives with these things, remember that. Keep em comin!
Thanks - I've tried to keep the spirit of growing and improving as a pilot through out the content that has continued to be published a couple times per month since releasing this one :)
Thanks for sharing. I had a rather boring career in flying (I'm 72 and gave it up a few years ago) with two exceptions. I owned a Cherokee Six (260) which I landed in my '2300' airstrip back yard' and had close to 1,000 hours in it but made the mistake one time of almost getting stuck on top and having to spiral down through a hole at a spine tingling speed approaching red line because I was concerned about icing up the carb at idle. I loved flying high to get out of the 'bumpiness' plus I only had a wing-leveler with a heading bug autopilot so up high it maintained altitude with little input. On this occasion flying from Virginia to NW Florida everything was cool until I noted more and more cloud formations below me. Over Georgia checking Panama City weather showed a heavy cloud later but not completely overcast (yet) and I knew I had to get down in a hurry so found what I though was a big hole which wasn't so big when you're in between building cumulus clouds. Made it down fine but that was the first time I ever attempted using a rapid spiral descent and never again. On another occasion I had what I thought was losing a cylinder and declared "mayday" over Titusville, FL but surprisingly all gauges including EGT and fuel pressure read normal but everytime I tried more power the plane shook like it was coming apart. To make a long story short ATC cleared me for a dead stick landing (should say cleared everyone out of my way) and when I pulled off the runway into the grass to clear the runway and shut down everything (thought it could be a fire) I noticed the firemen were lauging and pointing at the engine. The problem...Half of the prop spinner which was made of fiberglass had broke loose and hit the bottom of the cowing before landing in someone's yard I guess. But the loud 'explosion' and the instant out of balance condition sure scared the hell out of me and I thought the engine blew. A new spun aluminum spinner and a lot of nervous trepidation I was on my way to Puerto Rico. Some guy at the FBO came up to me and said, "If you don't get back in and fly right now, you'll never fly again." So that was all the impetus I needed to overcome my fright and carry on. My passenger, a teen age nephew thought the whole thing was "cool". No more "close calls" after that and I flew for probably another 800 hours before giving it up still with a VFR license but I spent a lot of time in motels waiting for perfect skies.
Jerry Ellis Wow - that's crazy about the spinner. Prop failures can tear the engine off the mounts, so you were correct to take it seriously. Dennis tells a story of a Stearman that had a small bit of the prop come off after take off at about 75 AGL... but the imbalance vibration was so severe it broke the engine off the mounts with in seconds and then of course the plane was un flyable due to being way out of W/B with no engine... It pitched up vertical with the heavy tail, and then stalled and crashed nose first on the runway. But the Stearman being such tank apparently kept the cockpit(s) intact and the occupants survived.
***** It may not sound like it but I was extra careful as dying in a plane crash would just prove my detractors right who thought a paraplegic had no business flying a plane. Back then since no one would rent me a plane I bought the Cherokee Six and I got in the back door and put the chair in the back luggage compartment and then 'scooted' up to the front. After the incident with the spinner I was told the plane was legal to fly without a spinner (Cessna's can't) and it didn't affect any flight characteristics so I just continued my planned trip to San Juan with no spinner. Got the aluminum one when I got back to NW Florida. Flying over all that water that is so deep it black like ink wasn't that much fun actually and although I made other trips to the Bahamas I never would do that again. I just never took the time for an IFR rating and didn't want to fly in those conditions anyway. Had a good friend that was certified so he always was ready for a trip if I had business to attend to and needed to go. I marveled on how he could keep track of everything and keep the plane flying.
I'm here because of kobe..
I want closure therefore I wanna make sense of this. Thanks for the info.
So sorry about the Kobe crash.
Yes, unfortunately it will likely turn out to be what this video explores. The report will probably end up calling it inadvertent IMC, and loss of spatial orientation resulting in loss of control.
For those that are coming here trying to understand what happened - an aviation expert friend of mine did a great write up and has linked to an analysis video with more info:
facebook.com/dan.gryder/posts/10157955156959866
Ditto
Kobe’s pilot took a chance.
Sometimes u eat the bear
Sometimes the bear eats u
Him Bike that’s how most IFR to IMC accidents happen. The Pilot feels rushed and takes a chance at the weather clearing up. Almost everytime the weather gets worse. It’s sad everytime someone dies due to weather. They are always 100% preventable just by waiting for it to clear :/
@@FlightChops That write up definitely helps explain things and why he would suddenly turn left and head down. Not a pilot, but I can definitely see how SD played a role. I lived in upstate NY near the Canadian border for many years and had my fair share of being caught in a lake effect snow squall while driving from Buffalo to Syracuse. The whiteout conditions make you lose all spatial orientation of where you are on the road and it feels like you are starting to spin even though you know you aren't - it's a very scary sensation. I would have to just follow the dim tail lights on the semis ahead of me and pray that they weren't veering off and taking me with them.
You maybe saved a life by having the humility to post this and give honest reflection.
This sort of video saves lives, I have a lot of respect for you putting this up - excellent work.
Tim Davies Thanks Tim! It was a great learning experience, and I'm happy to share it!
concur, very brave to post and totally open. Lesson learned
i also think that this video saves lives i did same situation on purpos but with my instructor just to see how an 180 in real IFR (it was verry bumpy ) would be. And then i went for IFR and from experience i can say even if you mainly fly VFR it is an backup and makes your other flying less stressful ,.. super video thx
yes God bless ty
My professional opinion is that an additional part of the PPL should include being able to control the plane in IMC and the checkride should add the following: Recognize the emergency, maintain control under the hood for at least 15 minutes while simulated radar vectors to VFR conditions are given. Or (~2030 when most planes are GPS equipped) the checkride should include emergency, under the hood, and shoot a GPS approach.
As a 20yr flight instructor, I admire your humbleness, chain of decision making and reasoning, and most importantly the education derived from a difficult mission. In my years, I'd say most tire kickers would have embraced the ego boost upon completion rather than the true understanding and desire for continued education. Well done cap'n...
Cpt Jbud -What he said. Not an instructor, though.
Nobody is as lucky as Lindy or yourself, you may be saving lives if pilots learn to prevent "get there - itis"
My instructor often talked about the accident chain. You have to break the chain to not become another statistic. I love to fly, but I don't hesitate to cancel a flight if something isn't right, especially weather. I have always considered weather to be the biggest threat of all.
I am an airline pilot, I am a Captain on a B-767 for a major cargo airline flying internationally. I will tell you what I do at every opportunity, because my life, my crew and my aircraft depend on it. I fly instrument approaches EVERY chance I get, even in VFR conditions, down to 200 feet before I look at the runway. Being CURRENT in instrument flying is different then being PROFICIENT in instrument flying. Practice, practice, practice is the key! Anyone can fly a visual approach, but not everyone can fly an ILS down to minimums and land, if they are not PROFICIENT. You MUST practice! My guess would be Kobe's pilot was a current instrument pilot, but he was not a proficient instrument pilot.
b767greg Funny I started out fueling airplanes working as an avionics technician flying Beech 18’s and ended up as a captain flyingDC-8’s many years ago. Now I have been flying Barbie jets for about 19 years. But I do remember a bunch of screw ups. And seen many accidents that had fatalities. If you watch air disasters on the Smithsonian channel. Watch nuts and bolts. The Emery Freighter that crashed in Sacramento Mather field. I grounded that airplane the night before because of the window that was delaminated. Ended up crashing because of a cotter pin missing on the stabilizer in the back elevator and jammed the elevator,tor and the crew passed away as they crashed into an auto auction yard. Somebody was watching over me upstairs that day. Now living on an air park with a Cessna 206 and powered paraglider you have to be extra careful and not complacent. Be safe keep it sunny side up.
@@paragliderpete Good point. Remember: "...oh, it's just an O ring..." ?
Thx for the input...I am very curious about the pilot of that horrific crash & u may have hit it on the nose there. Thx
I totally agree with this pilot. I don't know everything about special VFR clearance, but I'm pretty sure you still have to pay attention to the VFR Cloud distance. Fog is a type of cloud and they were in the fog prior to the crash.
@@paragliderpete OMG Beech 18 is definitely one of my favorites. That is a real workhorse. 2 x 450 hp P&W radials.
Loud
I like how you say “no flight is routine, always expect the unexpected”👍🏻
After 6 years, your video remains timeless. We can only imagine but Kobe’s heli was in a ravine filled with mountain terrain with heavy fog probably saw nothing but white before impact. RIP 😞🙏
Thank you for sharing
Dorothy Smith at the speed of which they hit the ridge that’s almost a certainty
One of the things that impresses me about pilots (those I watch anyway) is their willingness to admit mistakes and their strong desire to learn from them. I applaud you for doing so as well. - Someone Who Wants to Learn to Fly
We say the day you get your licence is the day you begin to learn to fly! Every flight should teach you at least one thing new!
Get there itis!! On my last tower landing on my solo xcountry the wx brf showed a convective sigmet moving at 25mph to intercept my path to home base----i drew the clouds right on my sectional (pre- iPhone era) and calculated I could beat the storm--the owner of the aircraft was at the airport to watch me land...he wanted his airplane back he he..
Thanks again. The list is a good time, but the most important things in the UK, but the use the search 91 9999999 , I am not a 9999999990000 00 00 , 06 the
I totally agree with few exceptions most people are very honest about being scared by something or big mistakes they have made.
You never get to hear from the others for a reason....and it's rarely pretty!
Once, when I only had about 100hrs in my log book, I got caught up in some building clouds heading back to Orlando from Gainesville in a VFR-only 152 and asked the ATC for a descent down to clear WX. He was busy, and said "I'll get you a new altitude in a minute", but never did. I called him up, told him I was descending, hit the IDENT button, reduced power, trimmed for 500fpm downhill, and poked the nose through a hole... that immediately began to close up.
I lost sight of the ground for maybe 15-20 seconds - but they were the LONGEST 15-20 seconds of my life. I was laser focused on the attitude indicator, and kept it dead-nuts level while descending at a pretty good clip... But the whole time my brain was telling me that I was inverted, climbing, and slowing all at the same time. It was terrifying, and eye-opening.
I cleared the bottoms, and let out the breath I was holding. My passenger (now my wife) never had a clue how hard I was working the yoke. We landed, and I was signing up for an instrument course at the FBO that day.
I am a multi/commercial pilot now, rated in the Shorts 360 and Beech 1900 with a 07 JAN 2019 ATR-72 transition start date, and with more than one "bad day at the office" in my log book... But I will NEVER forget that flight, even 3,419.5 flight hours later.
Thanks so much for your post as well. I haven’t begun flight school yet but it’s on my list for Spring 2020. I’ve flown commercially both here in the US and Internationally to Europe a few times. Additionally I obtained my Skydiving license some years back and managed about 125 jumps. Small stuff to be sure however I’ve had the pleasure of jumping out of quite a few types of aircraft as well as flying in them. That said, an early instructor taught me it’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground. This came true for me 3 separate times, and I swore it was beyond my control but a short while later realized no it wasn’t. The last one was similar to yours, however under canopy and trying to find my way through a cloud bank to the LZ while a hell of a storm blew up. At approximately 3k feet it began to hail and I was lost in white. I quickly lost orientation both vertically and horizontally at one point swearing down was up, etc... I learned that day to set my personal minimums accordingly especially re airspeed at altitude (both jump and approach to airport) as well as visibility. This stuff is real and when you end up in these situations you understand pretty much instantly how people die. Anyway, thanks for sharing.
Darrell Parkhill i’m a new pilot and you really helped my visualize this to see how it can happen. It sounds pretty surreal. In school i always remember asking myself how it’s possible to lose orientation.
Shorts 360. The Irish Concorde.
Bird strikes from the rear. LoL
Good story.
Any thoughts on the tragic kobe situation? what should the pilot have done? your analysis on his flight pattern and weather conditions?
specter290 the flight was on Sunday morning. There are or were many empty parking lots he could’ve landed and said it’s
Too foggy. They’d all be alive now.
He was rated for IFR but he was not authorized for IFR. He broke the rules.
I’m sure he flew in fog 100s of times
Fog in SoCal is like snow in Canada.
But this time the fog was way thick witnesses said.
When you said " the 180" my heart sank. I think this is what the helicopter pilot tried to do....glad it worked out for you two.
In the aftermath of Kobe and his daughter and fellow passengers and pilot, this video helps me understand. Thanks for making this video. Your work should show other pilots the problem of VFR into instrument flying.
You have humility.
So you don't afraid to admit your mistakes and question your own judgement.
What makes you a better pilot every flight.
Your an inspiration!
Love your videos!
Keep it coming!
And stay safe!!!
Good self analysis. As an airlines cpt with more than 15000 hours on Airbus, great respect !
More pilots should share their experiences Flying in inclement Weather Conditions.
It will be a Great learning tool for aspiring Pilots and Students
Not all of them make it to be able too...
“I’d rather be on the ground wishing I was flying than flying and wishing I was on the ground”
RIP Kobe, Gigi, friends and pilot.
acgillespie stfu
@@acgillespie Kobe didn't rape children you moron.
Oren Ohana do you mean Jeffery or Andrew
Who is quoted saying that?
Patrick Farrell I’m sure he would rather be there for his daughters growing up than burning out fast on some hillside.
Flying is hours or boredom, broken by moments of sheer terror. Thanks for posting.
You had 2 miles of visibility and it still looked terrifying, now imagine trying to fly in fog so bad you “couldn’t see across the street”... damn man
@Beautiful Greece - The danger of it is that it can happen when the pilot isn't ready.
@tea marks right I'm saying
20year experience and yo ass knew u knew dam well you shouldn't of been flying with them people asking for permission to fly in such a condition knowing possible risks u put all of them
Even the Most Seasoned Pilot can fall victim to "Get There Itis"... I've seen it happen too many times to scoff at...
Speaking from personal experience: Once you reach the Decision Threshold and make that final decision that places you into "Get There Itis" decisions begin to make you act. And sometimes you don't walk away.
Edit: Or worse yet, I walked away and someone I loved did not.....
The Baddest in America its easy to say that, but when thats ur income and you want to keep your very important customers happy you will do what you have to. I think having the helicopter circle for that amount of time threw the pilot off...If the tower didn’t make them wait so long they would be alive today
Good on you for swallowing you pride and posting this. You just saved some lives.
I wish it would have saved 9 more lives 😭
At 65, I have just begun lessons and having a FANTASTIC time.....but constantly learning.....your video just confirms you never stop even after your many hours.....great video, thank you so much for your honesty and humility in reviewing your situation......great respect from Nottingham England!
I’m here after trying to learn about VFR/IMC conditions after reading some pilot reddit discussions about the helicopter crash Kobe Bryant and others had yesterday . Thanks for this video RIP Mamba
How about this....IMC almost in any point risks icing. There isnt one fucking helo that can fly into knowen icing so there arnt many strictly helo pilots that fly and log actual instrument time....it other words helos mostly suck. They are for 2 things, either your are flying into a shitty situation like to resuce somebody or for your pax to go shoot people....or you are a pax in a shitty situation where you are getting ate by natives or you need to get to a medical center....there are really any good helo rides in a perfect world.
@@dhardy6654 Especially icing of the pitot tube which indicates airspeed, and the wings causing turbulence in the laminar flow over the wing and reducing lift or increasing stall potential. But the real killer is relying on the senses using VFR in IMC; that is why you must rely on IFR in IMC and trust the horizontal indicator and altimeter vs. what you see outside. However, if the airspeed is wrong well; just remember what the usual throttle amount is and try to keep the range consistent. Use VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) to locate the airport and call ATC. Vector for a landing and try to slowly descend until the ground is visible and ground speed can be gauged. ATC can report actual wind speed and direction to help gauge what the actual airspeed is. Not something for the faint of heart.
@@brendanwood1540 and you are a piece of shit IFR pilot....what you tried to explain is garbage.
@@brendanwood1540 how about you just call it an HSI like everybody else.
@@brendanwood1540 here next time....provided you have fuel, just do a 180 and get out of the weather and land some place else? When you say real killer? That part takes about 15 seconds to a minute and its all over. Id also tell you....include the turn and bank coordinator....keep that ball on the bottom. If you watch this gay canadian guy that ball was all over the place....thats just embarrassing.
I learned in leaps and bounds in a short 15 awesome minutes. You sir are a brave man. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing this , I am a fire rescue chopper pilot and even at over 10,000 plus hours we still need to remind ourselves stop the process before we get stuck . Thank you again .
Thanks for your service!
Big pat on the back to you for posting and going through everything in detail. It's very helpful. You'll surely help other pilots (like me) think more clearly and make better decisions. I know most pilots would never have shared. I truly appreciate.
As someone looking at learning to fly, these videos are such good info for just how quickly things can get life-threatening. VFR into IMC, icing, proximity to storms, feeling rushed: soberingly deadly and frighteningly easy situations to get into all of them. Thank you for posting, and with great detailed analysis as well.
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. It's clear you were fortunate to know the area so well and could navigate by landmarks. The message here is that pilot's get into trouble usually by a series of small steps and not one big misstep.
I am a 50+ year professional aviator, and now i lecture on General Aviation Safety of Flight. This is a Great Learning and Training video. These two pilots did everything a pilot can do to prepare for a flight. The checked the weather hourly and forecasts, for departure, destination and en-route airports. Notams and pireps for icing. They did not have an Instrument licenses which would probably, would not have changed this flight. The first mistake they made was "Scud Running", many pilots have made this error to a bad outcome. The learning point is watching the flight instruments in the video. As the pilot is talking and getting nervous about the weather, his altitude control is not good and he is rolling the aircraft left and right, very typical when a person gets nervous. As he is approaching the airport he says that is the airport was more than 6 miles away he would have turned back? I dont think he would have, he had already broken his personal minimums; but continued on. This is how we learn and some of us just run out of Luck, which these guys did not!
Chops, was some of the turn coordinator movements due to the crosswind or do you think it was mainly due to your nervousness? Great teaching video!
Really appreciate the dash cam. This video is educational to anyone curious about out-of-window visibility and the gauges on the dash. Considering how fast the weather can get crappy here in the PNW, learning IMC skills is a must. And then trusting your gauges too, another conversation worth having. Hats off to you for a great landing after dealing with 2M visibility.
This is one of the finest aviation videos I've ever seen. Thank you so much for making it.
Watching this on the heels of Kobe Bryant’s death this video gives a lot of insight
I realize I'm late to this video. I'm an airline pilot, just getting back into GA after two decades away, and watching you struggle with your decisions and situation is a very good reminder that legal isn't always smart, or safe, or right. As a professional aviator, I'm used to IMC conditions and every flight for work is flied IFR, so it's been a while since I've had to make that go-no go decision based on weather, but this video brought back that cold knife of fear we are all so familiar with. We all know someone who pushed a little too far into the situation and didn't have a good outcome, so I am very gratified to hear of your decision to take instrument training and get the ratings. Kudos on deciding to publish this! Using your channel to help pilots in their decision making is incredibly responsible.
Instrument flying really does move the hobbyist into the ranks of the professional aviator, and it'll really make your overall flying both safer and more enjoyable. Being able to fly and complete the mission even when the weather isn't ideal is a special kind of fulfillment and feeling of accomplishment, and I'm looking forward to watching more videos from you on this subject and process! Cheers.
In the aftermath of Kobe accident, this video is very relevant. Think that IMC conditions what they had.
I think with Kobe's thing, there might be a situation with "get-there-itis" as well. Plus pilot over confidence.
Better Than You I agree. Knowing the latest info from NTSB, you may think that pilot was looking the Sheriff helipad (only one mile behind them, they flew very close by) . If you are having hundreds of millions, so why did you not keep the standards like two pilots which would have greatly helped piloting this big copter in visual. Looks that pilot went to emergency instrument flying and came up up to 2200 feet but then lost control for reason or another, also mechanical failure is not excluded when you apply full escape power. So lot of if’s here.
Jukka O. Parviainen I’m convinced either kobe was being demanding or the Pilot was an idiot. The copter was noted at going over 100 knots at the time of the crash in imc conditions. I’m over it
Jeffrey Williams He just lost it in 2400 feet ie 1500 feet above ground. 2400 is sea level so MLS. Kobe could demand 180 and he started to make it but he did not trust his instruments anymore, he was making hillybilly hollywood stunt escape. Adding to that in his psyche was also a fact that his climb to IMC conditions was unauthorised so he would get consequences anyway. He was thinking himself to be too good and never out of luck. He should stay VFR and if can’t stay then turn back so 180.
This is frightening! RIP Kobe, Gianna and the remainder of the victims of (most likely) VFR into IMC
TJD Music kobe crash was so preventable. See what happens when you are cocky
As an airline guy, CFI for 37 years. FWIW, looks like to me you did a whole lot of things not only “right” - but also did them “well”. When you took your check ride for the PPL, your examiner probably told you “…this (the PPL) is your license to learn..”. We don’t always get the forecast weather, nor the weather we want. Your’s is a great story of Risk Management. Well done, Sir.
Show off bragger 🙄🙄
Hell of an A.A.R(after action report). Thank you. You've shown guts and character in sharing your experiences and thoughts with all of us.
Thanks for sharing. As a pilot in training, I find real world vids very informative.
Hi
Reev Jax ATC appreciates it I'm sure. They have a lot of paperwork to do a pop-up IFR apparently.
Private Pilot in training here. That was actually terrifying. The lowest vis I have ever done on a solo flight was 6SM with some mist and drizzle on my windscreen, putting me on edge since I was used to more than 9SM visibility with Clear to Few high up, not 6SM Overcast, with clouds less than 1000 feet above me. Glad that I played it safe and turned around. You are a very experienced pilot, and I would rather not think about what would have happened if I, a 20 hour Student Pilot didn't contact tower to get out of the practice area and to the airport when I did. Less than 15 minuets later, clouds rolled making the entire area above 1500AGL IFR. This is a video that I really wish that every pilot should take the time to watch. Thank You Very Much!
Just a thank you for being humble, but technically competent as well. Your video was very informative.
I'm an instrument pilot with 2k hours but feel your pain. Absolutely great video and narration. Thank you for the effort put into this production. A similar experience pushed me in 2004 to get my instrument rating. I chose a 10 day immersion course and have used my rating a lot through the years. An instrument rating will not make all flights possible but certainly improves the odds. Again, thank you for the video and experience.
It is amazing how much you have improved in quality and content. Now in 2019 you videos are super pro. Even as you are learning this video is still good.
Hey Bud, Thanks for your courage to post this. It is a quality video that teaches across disciplines. I appreciate your humility and ability, and willingness, to share your lessons learned.
I'm a private pilot with about 450 hours. I passed my instrument written test, and have about 30 hours of instrument training. For me, the difference between flying VFR vis a vis the control of the airplane vs IFR , is like the difference between throwing a bullet and firing a bullet. But having JUST IFR training, never mind the rating, upped my skills by orders of magnitudes. Well worth it.
Wow! I am so thankful you made this video. I came to the US two weeks after you uploaded this. 7 yrs later I've learned English to comprehend what you're saying and now working on my private. Thanks to you I know how important it is to share a story as difficult to admit as it could be, for the greater good of helping others learn from our mistakes. Wonderful video.
Really amazing story you've got! Glad this video was helpful to you!
Please report back about how your training is going.
Monitored situation. Stayed calm. Had a back-up plan. Well executed landing. LESSON(S) LEARNED!
You told the story well, kudos! Narrative is important.
Great video! Thanks for taking us along for the ride.
One of my safety outs is the "I think I can" rule. When the chance of success gets down to I think I can make it, I find a better option.
As a surgeon, and a pilot, I know I can teach anyone to operate or fly but cannot teach them when NOT to...clinical or aviation judgment to avoid mistakes comes not from skill or talent, but from experience, and wisdom--which of course come from making mistakes....correction, LEARNING from making those mistakes. I have strayed into conditions even as an IFR pilot, UNPREPARED (with charts/tools/readiness), and scrambling to put things together during the crisis only adds to the tension and distractions. What you have done is a constant reassessment, review, communication with tower, and attempted to validate what you were seeing with what might be ahead, correlating with what you know might be behind--plotting exits, developing alternatives, and continuously thinking ahead--that's how every flight should be no matter the weather or conditions. Well done!
Thanks for sharing your experience. You are now a better pilot, I'll guarantee you'll know what to do next time. We learn from our mistakes and mistakes from others so we can become better pilots. Hope by now you have your Instrument ticket and that you are actually flying IFR, because it will built your confidence greatly. There is nothing more satisfying than been in the clouds IFR and arriving on short final to be welcome by runway lights. That's when you know you did everything right. Practice makes perfection. Wish you the best of luck and safe flight.
Glad you did post it, but wish you hadn't waited a year! It just drives home that safety first really must be first, not first-except-for-convenience. This is one of the *most* instructive videos, thanks to your mea culpa, and explanations of just how quickly the best laid plans can go out the window. Well done.
Thanks for sharing this video with the community. Sometimes it can be really hard to share this kind of information with our peers. If a few pilots can recognize the risk factors based on this video, instead of having to experience it themselves, then you'll have done a very real public service and possibly saved a life.
A couple of the factors that you encountered here that are worth adding to our weather consideration beyond just ceiling and visibility might be: 1) Indistinct ceiling. You're not "in" or "out" of a cloud, the vis just keeps getting worse. 2) Deteriorating conditions. You knew weather was getting worse since your departure, that trend can (and often does) continue.
One final note. This was not "almost" flying VFR in to IMC. This is flying VFR in to IMC. If you're flying in weather that is below basic VFR minimums, then you are in IMC. Call it what it is and help us all be a little bit safer. Thanks again!
I’m also here after learning Kobe’s pilot was flying in the exact same conditions and in VFR
Learning a lot. Even after Kobe’s death, I’m still learning from him .
Nice. I'm a former Air Canada Captain. Enjoyed flying in and out of Toronto Island years ago, so I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, but I tip my hat to you; you have the growth mindset and you'll be one of those old (not bold) pilots with lots of tales to tell your grandkids someday. Well done.
Brilliant to see this and how quickly the weather can change and the forecasts can be wrong. A great lesson for us without having to go through this ourselves. Great video!
I really appreciate you taking the time on this video. We need to see the good, the bad and the ugly!
As a CDL driver hauling 80,000 lbs. in less than fair road, wind and traffic conditions, this video was very understandable. Well done video and ending the video, and of course the actual flying. You read the opposing, rapidly changing conditions, and applied planning from those conditions. Well done. To most watching, this flight might seem simple, but to anyone who is certified and trained to travel in these conditions, we learn real quick, planning a trip may include a plan to not go. Boating is the same as flying. Quick moving fog and running with strictly radar can happen in seconds. Any day you get back to the dock is a good day boating. Any day back on the runway landing, is a good day flying. Always learning. Safety first, fun second. Thank you for posting this video.
This low-hours new student pilot thanks you for posting. Nice job ... both the video production and the flying.
+Hank Brown Awesome! thanks, and I'm happy to share
I know this video was uploaded over a year ago, but I just wanted to say that you made the right call in uploading it. Who knows, your example of why to get some instrument training may just save a life someday. Especially, if someone is convinced to get the training and then needs to use it to get home safely. Thank you for sharing!
Astrogirl1usa Happy to share!
Thanks for taking the time to put this video together. It does demonstrate just how easy it is for a VFR pilot to get into a situation that's hard to handle on what should be a short, easy flight.
I love that this one still resonates after so many years since publishing it.
Just to drive through these squalls is terrifying glad you made it safely, after years of it l finally said no more and stayed home till clear, thanks good video.
Also probably getting ready to change the shirts too. Great flying with a cool head and not a bit of panic. Love your videos. Keep them coming. I can't fly anymore but stay flying through videos like these.
I applaud you for being brave enough to post this. We all need to tell stories of the stupid stuff we’ve done (and for pilots that admission is tough to do as we all have a bit of an ego whether we want to admit it or not). That turn downwind for 33 reminds me of the feeling of my first actual ils to minimums knowing that I was getting closer and closer to the ground but not seeing the airport. Man, that was a weird feeling. I kept saying, “trust your instruments”. I’m glad you got down safe.
Great video and very informative for young pilots. Most of aviation accidents happen due to a sequence of unfortunate events like this that lead to disaster rather than human error or mechanical failure and such examples is what the student pilots need so they develop a mental picture od ahead planning and guessing what might go wrong. Situational awareness and desicion making i think its the most important pilot skills that are rarely discussed.
I imagine that's what happened to Kennedy and he was flying just a little short distance to The Vineyards
James Morrison now Kobe, rather not show up somewhere than be dead
Thank you. Glad you made it back ok, we just started checking out these kind of shows to really learn more about what the Pilot of Kobe Bryant's Helicopter must have been going through. Thanks so much.
Very good video. An honest critical assessment. I'm sure there will be haters and keyboard instructors.
Really well put together and narrated. I got my license when I was 20 and my attitude was far too cavalier. I flew in weather conditions that were definitely not VFR many times. So stupid, but I'm still here :)
Getting an instrument rating , and keeping current , is a very wise decision. It’s great that you shared this video , so others can learn from it. Well done.
Wow, thanks for sharing this eye opening flight experience..had me on the edge of my jump seat!
Well done! This is an important public service. I bet you'll save lives because you created this HONEST video of your close call. And yeah...I found you doing my own analysis of the ATC recording and flight path of helicopter N72EX's final, tragic flight. #RIPKOBE
Making this video proves that you are a pilot with wisdom.
By allowing yourself to face yourself like this with the whole world watching adds to the capability of the pilot.
You’re a good pilot because you’re sensible. And it was sensible that you made this video. Thanks.
Maybe in the grand scheme of things you’ve saved the lives of others who didn’t get into trouble because of the trouble you got into.
As a forecaster, I can tell you first-hand that lake-effect snow is a difficult forecast. We have tools & techniques, but they can only say yes or no to Lake Effect Snow. Heck, the hi-res models (4-km grid spacing & 20-km resolution) can't resolve multiple bands - we are working on a 4/3-km grid that can resolve 7-km-wide features. The 4-km models are USUALLY sufficient for wind forecasts, but this was the exception to the rule. Also, a TAF is a deterministic forecast product, so you cannot rely on them in a volatile precip. situation as they're either right or wrong. I'm glad you got out safe and have learned a lot from this. Happy flying!
-Jaron
ShareAviation Username: JaronBreen
jbreezy101 Thanks so much Jaron! I really appreciate this perspective coming from a forecaster!
Excellent vid. It was a similar, but not quite as drastic an incident as yours, that built a fire under me to get an IFR rating. I was 18 and building hours for my PPL. Many years before transponders were required. It was a clear day, with broken clouds. I figured I could go above the clouds since they were so scattered. That was my first of many No, No's. My idea was to pick the biggest space between the clouds and climb through it . . . well over my 3000ft AGL, legal limit. So I did.
I flew above the clouds for awhile, then 180'ed to descend thru the "hole" I came through. It wasn't there. And neither was any other "sink hole". I mean stupidity was rampant that day. But at least I had the presence of mind to fly the Omni to get me on a solid course farther away from incoming and departing IFR traffic.. I didn't want to descend through the clouds and run into someone on IFR cleared to ascend or descend for a certain altitude.
I didn't know how thick the cloud layer was, but I wanted to get through it fast. I was sweating and keeping my anxiety at bay so I could keep my head engaged and focussed. I picked a spot, dropped the nose, said an audible prayer, locked every fibre of my being on holding course, eyes glued to the instruments, and self-talked that whatever I may "feel" the attitude of the plane to be, I would stay riveted and fly the instruments. That's all I knew. I made it. Cut short the rest of the flight, I was mentally drained. Began IFR ground school the following week.
It sounds like your incident was more "drastic" than his. You actually flew through a cloud. He didn't.
Hello Steve...Thank you for posting this experience. It is why I signed up for "Flight Chops" in the first place and is testimony to your motto of "Practice, Review, Improve"....M
I had a similar situation in Dallas and Addison airspace as a student. Ceiling dropped to 1200' with 3 mi. Vis. And traffic all around me with a faulty transponder. NOT FUN! Made it back to Addison safe. I was solo and scared.
Thanks for sharing!
Im here for KOBE and his daughter 7 others its a horable crash we all need bitter understanding.......Thanks for presentation sir......
This experience is right out of ADM and Risk Management. Needless to say, this is why the FAA places so much empahasis on it. Thank you for posting this as a "training" video, even for experienced pilots.
Very well done - the flying, decision making, video (editing, etc.) and especially putting yourself out there for all to see. And learn.
Great learning video, thankyou.
It might be tough to share your mistakes, but it might save another pilot's life!
So well done to you!
Thanks for having the guts to post this. I'm glad you're getting IFR training and you you've finished. Highly recommended!
Good job!
I’ve known many pilots myself included who’ve gone IIMC. Back almost 20 years now flying helicopter in the gulf it wasn’t a matter of “if”, but “when” you’re going to “punch in”. You train for it all the time but when it happens for real it’s always the same:
Doubt
Fear
Shame
Remember your training, transition to instruments, and fly the aircraft. Sometimes you have to do a 180 sometimes you climb, sometimes, you hold steady. That’s why they call it situational awareness. You have to know what your plan is going to be before you fly. WX reporting is so much better now, but SA is non negotiable and determines the ultimate success or failure of IIMC.
"Decided to test my personal minimums!." Famous last words. So glad you made; and a pucker up learning experience.
Your upfront and honest flying is a refreshing training lesson. Thank you!
That is an awesome video ! It should be shown to every VFR student.
Wow! So much information that I can use for future flying. I really appreciate your total honesty. Very well made, with excellent narration. Thanks so much!
Wow, this helps a lot to understand a bit more about the situation Kobe and the others were possibly going through. Even these conditions were frightening. R.I.P. Mamba.
IMC flew into me recently during a solo practice flight. I had to fully rely on instruments for about 15 to 20 minutes with zero visibility. Professionalism of ATC saved my life. I am glad I am not the only one who's had beef with clouds. ;-)
Tales like this are important to fess up to and tell. I scared myself once with night flying most likely tainted by early symptoms of hypoxia (was only around 6,000, but again, it was night and home elevation is around 750'). Had an uneventful night X-C but the fuel pump was down at home base so I had to refuel at an airport 10 miles away. I'd made the hop between the two plenty of times, but for whatever reason, when I should have been over the top of the home field, I realized I was far off to the southwest - I'd disoriented myself a full 90 degrees despite being between the huge city lights of Chicago and Milwaukee. I stayed calm and used the GPS to get my bearings (hadn't even had it on since I 'knew my way') and confidence back and landed uneventfully. As it turned out, that was my last flight nearly 11 years ago (I'm working on getting my medical and a BFR to get current again). I didn't stop because of that flight explicitly, but it was a good sign that the recent birth of my child and other aspects of life meant I wasn't flying enough to stay sharp, especially at night, and flying/currency just sort of drifted away.
Glad you made it out of this learning/teaching moment!
Well done!! Your honesty is refreshing, and this is exactly what is needed for pilots to get IMC training in their sights... I tip my hat to you... glad to hear & see your safe..... You are a pilot I would fly with...
The IFR training will be worth the effort. If you don't have FSX to get you started in IFR familiarity then perhaps the investment should be considered. Yea, I know it's just a similator but when it comes to sitations like this one, every little bit of an edge is helpful. Also, stay brushed up on VOR/ADF pattern flying. Cheers for the success, Captain.
I appreciate the fact you shared this. I know it happened 2 years ago, but still relevant. I had 25 hours in a Piper Tomahawk, and the flight line had to "JUMP" the battery because someone left the "MASTER" on. Thought it was just like a car - Clear skys 10 miles VIZ. Flew for a 1.5 hours around Long Beach (KLGB) - Tried to find ATIS, but no radio...all electrical was dead (FLYING ON MAGNETOS). Flew the Airport Course at 3000, They hit me with the Signal Lights (Green, thank god). I knew there were different light patterns, so I was actually looking at my Flight Manual for the proper page while flying Solo (maybe 2.5 hours total). Ended up landing on the Wrong Side of the Airport. Sitting on Taxiway, wait for the "FOLLOW ME" truck (That never came). Tower hit me with another Green light...I was taxiing when he flashed me a "RED" - I stopped before the commercial runway, and C130 landed in front of me. Holy S**T!!! - Taxied back to Flight Center (Piper Air Service) - No one was worried I just had the biggest scare in my Aviation History - Last Flight was in 1983 (24 years old!!!) - Wish I still flew, but had a real scare!!!! Hope you found this helpful. Your decision making was questionable, but you analyzed it properly as "GETHOMEITIS". Again, hopefully you still fly and are safe!!!! Best Always.
+Eric Hvinden Thanks for sharing your story Eric!
I grew up along the shores of Lake Superior and lake effect snow was pretty common.
This is a great video and I appreciate you sharing this. So many people have too much pride to share, let alone admit their mistakes. You could save some lives. Thank you.
Great video! I watched this to find out more about the chopper crash that killed Kobe, Giannna, and 7 others. RIP to the victims.
You are absolutely correct. Take as long as you need to but DO invest in instrument flight training. Just keep on training until your check ride. The confidence and the very rational of instrument flying will definitely serve you. Every hour spent will add to you for certain. There’s is much you can do for yourself at home also with “flight simms” too. Apply what you’ve learned and become a fanatic challenging the various approaches available. Then be even better when you get back in the cockpit. This is your life you are training to save, as well as others. I was a commercial rotorcraft rated guy and didn’t even have 600 hrs invested back in 2000...while out logging night VFR, just keyed up the runway lights for a right base. While still on downwind, a squal from off shore came from behind and on shore through the channel overtaking from aft right. Everything went “white” with the glare from the landing light. Visual reference was gone. I’m sure in one breath I sucked all the air out of the cockpit from sheer surprise. Being alongside an experienced high timer....he reached and shut the landing lights off, and calmly said keep her steady and slowly descend. I still had a picture of where we were in my head. We broke out underneath just like a curtain, and was able to turn base and touched down and shut down for one hell of a down pour, which passed just as quickly as it arrived. In Hawaii...this stuff happens. That was all I needed to start instrument training. Even basic 6 pac flying is from a different perspective. Moral of the story is: don’t be frightened into IFR training, better to have it together when the unfavorable moment arrives, and you will have a handle and options vs “oh shit”...(just being real) 🤙🏽
How mystic that you originally published this exactly 6 years ago. Thanks so much!
None the less you like a pro. Kept cool and as I learned the words, "just fly the plane stupid", as alternatives of tirning back and having bad weather behind you close in you could have been trapped.
Great learning video.
I had similar coming out of Germany Frelenshophin Airport on Lake Constance. We got in soup coming over the alps entering France dared not turn back but boy did i learn a lesson. Charles DeGal Control knew we were not VFR and keot on talking to us. Finally light came up from a break in the clouds below it could not have been 150 meters across, I turned and literally dove down into the hole praying no one else did the same thing and leveled off on the bottom of the clouds.
Going over the Alps in an unpressurized 1976 Warrier with an 180 Lycome was risky without full visibility which made turning back a potentially deadly choice.
Well this was scary . Better then any scary movie i lately seen . Thank god ur ok . Great job
This was an excellent video to post. I’ve watched it previously a couple years ago, but never commented.
It’s extremely important for all pilots to familiarize and trust their instruments, regardless of their future flight plans.
When you’re flying in VFR, always act like you’re in IMC and learn to trust your instruments, regardless of the situation.
IFR training is crucial for all pilots, regardless.
I do this in all aspects of my life, whether it’s going offshore in a boat, or flying. Always know your most basic instruments. Always have a backup plan, and always have a diversion. Always keep the next closest airport in your head. Always watch your instruments and train your mind what it’s like coming into any airport in the dark. Focus on everything, and know your surroundings.
Trusting your inner ear and ignoring what’s in front of you on the dash is what kills pilots.
As a IFR instructor good video...
Your honesty will save lives .
I don’t know if you’ll see my comment this late and in the muck of so many others. But as a student pilot that craves learning as much about safety as possible, PLEASE keep posting things like this. I respect you greatly for doing this, finally breaking the inertia to do so. I’m also a rock climber and they publish an annual book of all the accidents that happen and what led up to them. It has made me such a safer and more attuned climber. These videos make the entire community better. You may be saving lives with these things, remember that. Keep em comin!
Thanks -
I've tried to keep the spirit of growing and improving as a pilot through out the content that has continued to be published a couple times per month since releasing this one :)
@@FlightChops discovered your channel a week ago and want to say thank you for posting this potentially life saving content.
Thanks for sharing. I had a rather boring career in flying (I'm 72 and gave it up a few years ago) with two exceptions. I owned a Cherokee Six (260) which I landed in my '2300' airstrip back yard' and had close to 1,000 hours in it but made the mistake one time of almost getting stuck on top and having to spiral down through a hole at a spine tingling speed approaching red line because I was concerned about icing up the carb at idle. I loved flying high to get out of the 'bumpiness' plus I only had a wing-leveler with a heading bug autopilot so up high it maintained altitude with little input.
On this occasion flying from Virginia to NW Florida everything was cool until I noted more and more cloud formations below me. Over Georgia checking Panama City weather showed a heavy cloud later but not completely overcast (yet) and I knew I had to get down in a hurry so found what I though was a big hole which wasn't so big when you're in between building cumulus clouds. Made it down fine but that was the first time I ever attempted using a rapid spiral descent and never again.
On another occasion I had what I thought was losing a cylinder and declared "mayday" over Titusville, FL but surprisingly all gauges including EGT and fuel pressure read normal but everytime I tried more power the plane shook like it was coming apart. To make a long story short ATC cleared me for a dead stick landing (should say cleared everyone out of my way) and when I pulled off the runway into the grass to clear the runway and shut down everything (thought it could be a fire) I noticed the firemen were lauging and pointing at the engine.
The problem...Half of the prop spinner which was made of fiberglass had broke loose and hit the bottom of the cowing before landing in someone's yard I guess. But the loud 'explosion' and the instant out of balance condition sure scared the hell out of me and I thought the engine blew. A new spun aluminum spinner and a lot of nervous trepidation I was on my way to Puerto Rico. Some guy at the FBO came up to me and said, "If you don't get back in and fly right now, you'll never fly again." So that was all the impetus I needed to overcome my fright and carry on. My passenger, a teen age nephew thought the whole thing was "cool". No more "close calls" after that and I flew for probably another 800 hours before giving it up still with a VFR license but I spent a lot of time in motels waiting for perfect skies.
Jerry Ellis Wow - that's crazy about the spinner. Prop failures can tear the engine off the mounts, so you were correct to take it seriously. Dennis tells a story of a Stearman that had a small bit of the prop come off after take off at about 75 AGL... but the imbalance vibration was so severe it broke the engine off the mounts with in seconds and then of course the plane was un flyable due to being way out of W/B with no engine... It pitched up vertical with the heavy tail, and then stalled and crashed nose first on the runway. But the Stearman being such tank apparently kept the cockpit(s) intact and the occupants survived.
***** It may not sound like it but I was extra careful as dying in a plane crash would just prove my detractors right who thought a paraplegic had no business flying a plane. Back then since no one would rent me a plane I bought the Cherokee Six and I got in the back door and put the chair in the back luggage compartment and then 'scooted' up to the front. After the incident with the spinner I was told the plane was legal to fly without a spinner (Cessna's can't) and it didn't affect any flight characteristics so I just continued my planned trip to San Juan with no spinner. Got the aluminum one when I got back to NW Florida. Flying over all that water that is so deep it black like ink wasn't that much fun actually and although I made other trips to the Bahamas I never would do that again. I just never took the time for an IFR rating and didn't want to fly in those conditions anyway. Had a good friend that was certified so he always was ready for a trip if I had business to attend to and needed to go. I marveled on how he could keep track of everything and keep the plane flying.