There are no OLD, BOLD pilots. What happened to Jim Tweto? Possible explanation.
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- There are no OLD, BOLD pilots. What happened to Jim Tweto? Possible explanation.
#generalaviation #pilotlife #aviation #cessna #pilottraining #newpilot #bushflying #jimtweto
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Years ago, I had taken two people to a fly in lunch event. I made sure the plane was within limits, and even left a lot of fuel behind anticipating landing again in 19 miles to refuel with better runway conditions. This particular event attracted so many airplanes that when it was over, they had guys with flags waving the next plane onto the (grass) N/S runway for departure. And this is where things got weird. The wind was mostly favoring a southern departure (fluctuating cross-wind), but everyone was taking off to the north "as instructed" by the probably non-pilot flag men. It was an uncontrolled airport, and the north departure was also running uphill. As my passengers were busy doing what passengers do, I was sitting on a picnic table assessing everything that was going on here. I was flying an Archer, and there were other Cherokee products as well as a few 172's, all equally loaded in my opinion, successfully departing. I must have watched 30 or more planes take off. So, with the knowledge that I was within limits based on all available information I had, and having watched other airplanes depart, I elected to get in line. I back taxied to the very very end, making sure to grab every inch of runway, began the take off roll, got the nose wheel up and into ground effect, and then......NOTHING. I was past the point of no return, and the SOB would not climb. I was gaining altitude but the uphill runway under me was keeping pace. At the end of the runway, there were trees, covering the hill/mountain I was supposed to be climbing over. At the very last possible moment, just seconds before impact, I reached down and pulled in all the flaps. It was a last ditch attempt commanded by something deep in my mind, as opposed to a conscious and direct thought. I didn't think about it, I just DID IT. And I did this with such haste that I hit my knuckles on something (I still don't know what it was) and I had blood running down my hand and wrist. But it worked. The plane climbed the hill, with the trees just 4-5 feet below us all the way. Once I cleared the top, we flew out over a cliff and leveled off above the lake. Thirty some years later, I can still hear myself exhaling once I cleared the last of the trees. Throughout all of this, both my passengers were oblivious just thinking it was business as usual. I didn't discuss the near tragedy with them. I saw nothing to gain by doing that, but I took with me the most valuable lesson one could ever learn. Trust your gut. Something didn't feel right. On paper, we were "good to go", and yet there was that nagging little voice telling me to re-evaluate and change things up. Looking back, if I had not decided to go in empty and re-fuel 19 miles later, we'd have surely hit the trees. I don't fly anymore (medical issues) but the experience I garnered that day stayed with me for the rest of my flying days.
Holy F, what a captivating read. I know exactly how you felt.
Wow, intense! Clearing trees by feet is sketchy! Appreciate the comment. Thanks for watching!
Sharing a near miss like this is extremely valuable. All the learnings are there, but without the incident.
Thank you.
Great honest self assessment, thanks for sharing!
I'm curious what you mean by pulled in all the flaps? You went full flaps or zero flaps?
Your own story hopefully will relate to pilots we might get away with it, until we don’t. Sad news about Jim. My condolences to his wife and family.❤
So right on Captain. Unless you properly deal with density altitude, wind, runway slope, weight and balance, runway length some takeoffs will result in tragedy. My experience is similar to yours. But I limited the amount of fuel to take on and did some real serious weight and balance and takeoff calculations that day so long ago limping out of Espanola, NM in a fully loaded Cherokee Six with the stall warning blaring long after we got airborne with rising terrain. There were some other poor decisions (like letting the owner non-pilot try the takeoff until I took over and popped on about 15 degrees of flaps to clear the runway fence) CFI2062122 (Exp'd)
Got my heart racing just reading this. I'm glad you made it out in one piece. Flaps were always a go-to when flying remote. Just need a little extra lift. Thanks for watching!
I hate when people say stupid stuff just to have a cute line....there are many old bold pilots
Maybe the saying is a bit cute but the sentiment isn’t.
RIP Jim Tweto and Shane Reynolds. Thanks for this video Chris. It's great to hear from a pro that has significant bush flying experience and there's lots of valuable lessons here even for us weekend warriors on paved runways.
Things can go sideways pretty quick. Thanks for watching!
Hello. I'm a family member of Shane Reynolds. The crash happened around 11:48 am. What we know is the trouble came due to the overweight from the bear and weight. They didn't gain elevation.
Thank you for updating the group.
Thank you, Cami. And we are all very sorry for your loss.
Sorry for your loss
Flew Alaskan bush for over 20 years. In 1994, there were 15 fatalites of people i knew. Billy D., if you read this, I know that you remember that year, many were your friends. At the 3rd funeral, I got tired of hearing "a great pilot, I'd fly with him any time". I said to myself, "then why are we here. For 30 seconds they weren't". They made bad decisions. "Get there itis" was a major killer. In 2009, a dear friend was eager to get to his High School 40th reunion and ignored the weather briefing and flew his Lancair 4P into a Cat 5 thunderstorm. The wings and horizontal tail sections were torn off at 20,000 FT. I just pray that he was not conscious during the decent. Pushing the weather, overloaded aircraft, and game spotting were the primary causes of crashes and fatalities during my time while living in Alaska. All were based on the decisions made by the "Pilot in Command, (PIC)".
Dang, 15. Appreciate you sharing. Thanks for watching!
50 yrs CP. Never flew Alaska.
More than once I said, NO, not going.
Threatened with being fired, I said, OK, BYE BYE.
Here I am.
Old not stupid.
GOD DAMN! RIPPED THE WINGS OFF AT 20K FT! THAT FUCKER MUST HAVE HAD THE TIME OF HIS LIFE ON THE WAY DOWN! LITERALLY!
I worked jobs in Alaska where I routinely hired air taxis. I would never pressure the pilot and always had the attitude that there is always later or tomorrow if conditions were questionable. A few people that did similar work didn’t end up so lucky. A couple of them died in helicopters and a few more in fixed wing aircraft.
20+ years flying in AK. It’s my day job. If I ever stack one in I’ll come back and haunt whoever shows up to my funeral and uses the wore out phrase “they were a great pilot”. I’d rather them show up and say “we might miss him but he flat screwed up, learn from his mistakes”.
We’d be better friends and colleague’s to each other if we’d call it out when someone does something dumb.
Tired of missing friends in this work.
Flew 207's out of Kotzebue in the 1990's for Ryan Air. Flew charters Part 135 in MN before that. Currently, am over-the-road trucker. One point. Privately, you may fly/drive a million miles, but do it commercially and it all changes. You push yourself to the edge because you have expectations placed upon yourself and, of course, this affects your judgement, greatly. Very difficult to balance out. In your quiet time, you need to set some parameters of what you will and will not do. And, yes, sometimes it's a life and death decision and the boss or customer may not see it that way. A pilot/driver needs to have some real strength of character to keep everyone alive-period.
So well said! Thank you!
Much like yourself I used to do part135 work, aerial photos, freight etc. Also did the OTR thing for a couple million miles. Scared myself pretty bad in both ventures to the point of realizing just how old do I want to live to? That being said I keep my feet on the ground now and just fix the big stuff.
Amen.....did Parts/ Service/ Maintenance for A Florida FBO for the 1990's.....operated anything Piston, twins to Trainer and had to give it up due to a Divorce. Never lost a plane or Pilot, but had a fleet of 26 at a time......lots of leveraging the odds.
I can do a Tweto business in Florida......could never believe u could do it in Alaska. When I learned of his passing, it took my Breath away, and my heart just got heavy. I pray God watches over the Tweto Gals.......and I'm heartsick about that Cool ass Tougher than the Rest Cessna 180
10 years in Nome, '85-'95. Mechanic mostly, 1 year 207. Route checks in OTZ '94, with Warren Thompson.
Explaining reality to proud, wealthy, paying customers who want you to make the impossible happen, must be just the worst aviator job imaginable.
"Damnit, my bear is rotting! Get this thing in the air!"
You raise a good talking point. It's imperative to set the right expectation BEFORE they leave to hunt. Get out the scale, weigh gear and passenger(s). Make it black 'n white--actual numbers make the conversation easier than guesstimated weight. Be matter of fact, not emotional. Let them know if they pack IN that heavily, they may need two flights to get a "great hunt" OUT (assuming short strip & terrain limit plane size). These pills are easier to swallow if we know before we go--make it part of the company culture (We do this because we care--we WILL get you home). It's nearly impossible for customers to accept judgement calls like that when surprised in the moment. Job number one in ANY business is educating customers first, especially in a potentially lethal biz.
In climbing we all wish to summit. But that's only the turn-around point! Hunters plan their hunt. More important to plan getting a successful hunt home.
You need to recognize when you get to life number seven and quit the bush like you did and keep lives 8 and 9 in reserve for later !!!
Jim was one of the very few pilots with probably 36 lives or more but unfortunately even he finally ran out. Jim was one of the finest men in Alaska and well as one of the finest bush pilots. He did many many things for the communities and people free of charge.
May He Rest In Peace and may his friends and family find comfort in the way he lived his life !!!
I watched the discovery Channel series; seemed genuine and a family man. Definitely a big loss. Thanks for watching!
Flying a plane is easy. Not dying is the hard part. Jim failed.
I had a fun career in skydiving. Advanced the ranks quickly. Was invited to be a part of an Airshow 2 weeks after graduating AFF... felt great. I'd only been skydiving 6 weeks. I was getting accolades, picture on the cover of a regional brochure. I won an accuracy contest at that airshow.
I jumped hard. Accumulated 3000+ jumps in a very few years. Never had any accidents or injuries.
Being of scientific/mathematical mind, one day, out of the blue... I was done. No reason other than the visualization of probability in my head. Sold all my gear.
Over the next 10-20 years, I slowly lost 4 skydiving friends, 2 who were my original AFF instructors to canopy collisions and aircraft accidents, one had pilot chute deploy on climb out, his body tearing off half of the C206 elevator.
Life is truly precious. I am not a fearful guy,at all! ... yet I made a decision that changed my life.
Such are the things of life.
I admire your courage and sobriety to decide not to fly bush any longer. I totally understand your conviction and wisdom behind it.
Every time somebody gets in a plane or skydives etc, they're rolling the dice and hoping something won't go wrong, but eventually the roll is going to be bad.
3000 in "a few years? I got over 6000+ and even working full time year round I could only get 800 a year so 3000 in a few years is a stretch.
@@tungstenkid2271 Good habits can shift the math WAAAAY in your favor, though. But there are variables that one cannot control.
@@FLY2KO You don't know me, anything about me. But yet you felt compelled to call me a liar, in public.
Fascinating.
"A man has to know his limitations" and then act accordingly to them!
I actually put a plane down on a back country strip in Alaska this past Friday . Did several fly-by’s and everything looked good. Did a touch on the next pass to test the surface and felt firm. Came in for the final landing and as soon as I dropped the flaps I felt the plane just bog down. I threw full throttle and pulled some flaps back in, but was still slowing down. I ran out of runway and just committed to the landing trying to keep from nosing over. Turns out there wasn’t much grass and it was a lot of muskeg which holds standing water just below the surface. I taxied to the end of the runway while configuring the plane for takeoff. I was nervous if I stopped completely I’d never get the plane back out. I made several attempts to takeoff and made it into low ground effect one time, but got lucky and recognized what was happening and aborted the takeoff instead of floating it into the trees at the end of the runway. Had to pay an atrocious amount of money to contract a chopper to sling load the plane out of there, but I’m uninjured and the plane is still undamaged so I simply chalk this up to an expensive learning experience
That's one heck of an experience. Good move made. Thanks for sharing!
Nicely done
You dropped the flaps ? No guy, you CUT DID THE FLAPS Instead, and felt it bogged down. You are confused in flaps clear use.. Better to use Taxi Flaps on soft ground. CFI.
arcticcowboy8659.
Just curious, what does a typical heli pickup cost?
@@mrbmp09 10 to 15k $$$$ depends of location and aircraft used. Ask for a hang glider, they are cheaper to use..
Great analysis. Two things I find that are the most important to any pilots:
1. We teach students on High Density Altitude takeoff by simulating reduced thrust on piston aircraft, and make them aware of the performance reduction. However, they rarely get to experience the reduced lift over wings in actual high DA scenarios.
2. Slow flight is practiced over and over in flight training. We always preach "power for altitude, pitch for airspeed". However, this is always done at a sufficiently safe altitude and with partial power settings. The reality when you get out of ground effect too early is that you have no more additional power to play and no altitude to pitch down and gain airspeed.
This is not an analysis. He has no facts and is just guessing.
They'll take their students onto a long runway, and then, rather than using full power, they'll take off with a reduced power setting to simulate a high altitude airport. An aircraft has reduced performance at high altitudes as the air is much thinner. Hope this helps.
@@user-ef2bx9fb4y stfu that wasn't patronizing at all 🤣
@@user-ef2bx9fb4y Whoa no need to get all pissy. How did the guy know you had any experience by reading the question you posted? He gave a simple explanation which was not at all patronizing.
@@user-ef2bx9fb4y If you weren't trolling, you might want to consider working out whatever life problems you have before dealing with the public. You got angry for no reason at all.
-Thats pretty much it...
Thanks for watching Dan!
Not worth the risk for hunting when most places there is plenty of meat in the shops.
Such a risk for an already emergency situation is bad enough (say a rescue of injured hiker)
But such a risk for a hobby or just to have bear/moose instead of beef/pork is not worth it.
Not true! Chuck Yeager was an old bold pilot.
The no old bold pilot bs was made up by a newspaper reporter that didn’t know any more about aviation than most of the press today.I’ve known a lot of old bold pilots & wouldn’t want to fly with any other kind .there’s a difference between bold and reckless!
Bush flying would be to stressful for me, hats off to you sir. Condolences to the family for their loss.
Thanks for watching!
As Dan Gryder noted, the only aircraft to fly into that location to help was a turbine helicopter. That says a lot about the strip and conditions.
Dead men don't argue with Dan. Dan can say whatever he wants, true or untrue. The problem with the internet is any loudmouth can say whatever he/she wants about anything. And, dead men can't argue with you either.
@@alpenglow1235 Dan is not any “loudmouth.” It is a simple fact that nobody would fly a fixed wing into that location to help. Too risky.
"Corn Patch Dan" f'ed up a fella's Cessna 150 a few years back. He has no room to criticize.
@@TheBeingRealOle 40 degree flaps with two fat people in a Cessna 150 Dan?
Trophy hunters and their helpers get what they deserve in my opinion. Ole karma….
Jim was a GREAT GREAT pilot i want to know about the investigation of the engine........Why docent the NTSB have a investigation number assigned!!!!!!!
It's unfortunate how these smaller accidents get the back burner to larger aircraft accidents/incidents. We all want to know what happened. Speculation is a rabbit hole. Keep me posted if you hear of anything.
It's ashame to think, all of his experience, and flight time. Still did not realize the gravity of the situation. Almost unbelievable. John Denver similar, ran out of gas. How dose that happen to such an experienced pilot?
R.I.P.
I feel so bad for Jim and his family and friends. I watched all his shows on TV and got to know all of them. This is just one more example of never letting your guard down. You’re not invincible. There are way too many airplane crashes per month.
Absolutely, happens fast. Thanks for watching!
CFIT is a different accident. CFIT generally involves pilots/ crews *unknowingly* flying into terrain. Over gross/ beyond performance capabilities is a different accident altogether. CFIT is almost always IFR and/or night flight.
Yes, not semantics.
Iam 81 old and did a lot of flying in Alaska and the Idaho back country your words are right on
Thanks for watching! Appreciate the comment!
I usually skip over these type of videos, however this was excellent; well-thought-out and comprehensive,w ith a respectful tone. We live on a grass strip and I recently had a somewhat similar experience with an airplane that wasn't making full power. Thankfully, we were able to circle back and land safely, but your comments about go/no-go points and the power curve are spot-on. Great content!
Your positive feedback is much appreciated. Thanks for sharing and watching!
I would TRUST Jim explicitly. I DOUBT he made a mistake. Overloaded etc... Knowing Jim it had to be 10000% a FREAK accident. No fault whatsoever on Jim. HE DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE. That's just who Jim was.
He was an excellent pilot. We'll have to wait and see what the NTSB comes back with. I'm speculating; hopefully, I'm wrong.
Should make the take off w 3/4 weight see how it goes come around land and then add weight . Easier said then done I know , but a slightly underperforming engine is hard to notice sometimes but it can really make a difference in take off climb. Or your just over weight for the field but if you TO 3/4 weight you have a better idea of the performance of that field on that day and what’s a go around in the pattern take ? 10 min or less to save your life.
I’ve seen it first hand an airplane on the edge of being overweight for the field can diminish in abilities from a very small amount of added weight. 5 knots coming out of ground effect can make a huge difference too. Once you behind that curve your causing more drag making a bad situation worse.
This is why we have performance charts and do the maths. Better to work it out and know what your limitations are beforehand... not while you're hurtling down the runway and hoping it will climb out!
If I had the money like Jim did, I’d invest in a cargo helicopter and obtaining a commercial certificate for it. That short of a strip is too risky without a 400 hp or more aircraft.
A good idea but a cargo helicopter might not be economical. There are reasons why people fly fixed wing and one of those reasons is it's a lot cheaper that rotorcraft.
Complacency doesn't know how much horse power an aircraft has. Same results, different strip, different day.
If you have not reached 71% of rotation speed by 50% of the runway, you should abort the takeoff.....you won't be able to reach enough speed for safe climbout. I like to walk the runway off and put a branch or paper cup along the side ot the runway at the 50% point. When I get there, I'll know if I am gaining enough speed for safe departure. In general, you are better taking off downhill into the wind than uphaill with the wind unless the wind is blowing 20 - 25 knots uphill Get Sparky Imeson's Montain Flying Bible for more detailed explanation of ths. The "71% Rule" works on any runway surface and at any DA, field elevation, surface wind speed, or with any aircraft.
So, on a 10,000 ft runway, if you don’t have 71% of rotation speeds by the 5,000 ft mark, you should abort or continue if you do? That’s just a stupid statement. If you use this “rule” you would take off at the VERY END of the runway. You should calculate the take off distance for your aircraft from your pilot operating handbook for the existing conditions and weight of the aircraft, add a safety factor and then add your minimum stopping distance. (Also in the POH as landing distance.) Then make sure you have enough runway to do so. I know very few pilots that take off uphill with the wind. And 20-25 knots is even worse! I call BS that you are a pilot at all!
@@pcpolice7937It's even worse than that. The 70% number assumes constant acceleration (in which case distance travelled is proportional to the square of speed attained). A prop produces less thrust as airspeed increases. You also have increasing drag from the wheels spinning faster and more parasitic drag at higher airspeed. So acceleration is actually decreasing during the takeoff roll and you probably wouldn't even be at flying speed by the end of the runway. And if it takes you 10,000 feet to attain takeoff speed in a light aircraft, good luck having enough excess power to even climb out of ground effect.
@@igclapp Good Point
Ryan Farran, a missionary bush pilot says he weighs product onto his plane using a scale, then at least that one parameter is not guessed at.. Sorry for the loss, it all ends so suddenly.
You mess with the aviation bull, you get the aviation horns.
No mention of temperature or altitude of the air strip?
I ALWAY calculate "Density Altitude" when there is any question about the length of a short, rough, inclined airstrip.
"There are no OLD, BOLD pilots" Ill disagree you've never meet Jim West who owns Skydive Green County Xenia, Ohio. the mans been flying since 1959, crop dusting in the early days and Skydivers since 1961 he still owns his own private airport since 1960 flys skydivers to this day and will probably pass while piloting Skydivers. this stuff Jim has done in his life flying makes most others pale in comparison...
Sounds like a neat guy. I bet he can tell stories for hours. Thanks for watching!
I think this is going to be spot on, tastefully and articulately stated. Well done 👍🏻
Thanks for watching!
"Quitting while your ahead, is not the same as quitting!"
It wasn't mentioned that not only was he an ace of a pilot but he was also an ace of a man !!!
Thanks . Iam82 and live in Idaho and flew the back country in Idaho . Had some close calls . this man is thinking right he knew when to quit,
Be safe out there. Thanks for watching!
Kudos to you for making a smart command decision to give up that type of flying due to your perception of the risk! Decades ago, I was a First Officer on a Shorts Skyvan, made over 900 trips into the jungles of South America, to very short landing strips. Also assisted as a crew member on military flights. It was extremely hazardous. I came to the same conclusion; that there was too much inherent risk. Best wishes to you and your career!
Jungle flying is a whole other can of worms. I'm sure your storybook is full. Thanks for watching!
Wrong... Lloyd Roundtree, Petersburg, Alaska.
Why aren't load weights honored as #1, the rich people just have to pay for 2 pickups.
Sometimes it hard to get a read on how much weight is really there without a scale. Also, if the air strip was wet or muddy, it could have limited his ability to gain speed. Thanks for watching!
Jim new engine was cursed in my opinion it caught on fire while the dude was testing new engine.From research he had the engine check for problem after its installation a lot of bugs i guess.
Appreciate the additional information. Hopefully, post crash, the engine was still intacted for further inspection by the NTSB. Thanks for watching.
@@thisisyourcaptainspeaking going to be a while before we know i think.
It said that the wind was a factor in Jim Tweto death, also a guide was killed.
Experience is much more accurate than math in the art of flying, so some of us get really old before the exposure that comes with experience catches up with us. Getting out and into safer flying is a good old and sorta bold move, as with your going to the airlines. I was a crop duster when it was mostly with the 0-540 235 hp Lycoming in Pawnees and CallAirs. A ruptured dist and operation caused me to change to pipeline patrol that allowed me to fly longer I think. Ag now is mostly with 700 hp or better turboprop jet aircraft that cost enough to trigger a whole different concept of the business. I once bought a Stearman with a 450 hp P&W for $10,000 that, while a basket case, was pretty safe because the hopper (where the front pilot used to sit) would only hold 200 gal. Like bush, we could adjust the load based on experience and conditions. Having something you could always put 200 gallons in was like flying an airliner that you could expect to be able to go around on one engine with a full load. There are old, hard working, experienced pilots, who accept tough missions. Experience vs. exposure. Yes, there are few old bold pilots. Jim was one I think. Thanks for the report.
Thank you for the post, Jimmy. You lived an exciting flying career and are here to share it. A lot of risk, flying to remote airstrips. Conditions are constantly changing. The airlines; as boring as they are, provide a structured environment that most end up into. Appreciate the post!
Back country, whole new adventure and if you’re not ready for it, it could be very very unhappy learning experience nice video.
R.I.P. Jim
Thanks for watching!
Beautiful pan 4:26 where is that please? At first I thought it was typical western super long runway. Appears to be a river. Maybe I'll get to see some Alaska before the Good Lord calls me home.
But I don't want to be called Home in a wreckage out in the bush trusting a young pilot building time who lacks the judgment of the aged.
Or an old pilot whose lost the ability to judge properly.
I got the video off of a free website. My phone back then wouldn't have been very good quality. 😂 Thanks for watching!
This speaks to me as almost all of my flying is mountain, high-DA flying. It’s frightening how quickly you can get into a coffin corner situation in high density altitudes. Stuff that you can get away with at lower elevations will kill you quick in the mountains.
Excellent warning. I fly in low altitudes now, I want to get out west into some beautiful scenery but some of it is high density altitude. I need to remember this.
Flying in the mountains is a whole other can of worms. Definitely need to stay on top of things. Thanks for watching!
Coffin corner is a high altitude scenario. 30,000 feet and higher. As aircraft fly higher, the red line speed( barber pole) decreases, and the stall speed get closer together until they are very close together. There might be a spread of 15 to 20 knots between Vmo/Mmo, and Vstall at very high altitudes.
If a stall occurs, loss of control occurs. If the aircraft is overspend, the center of lift can move aft, causing a nose down moment, further exacerbating the situation until the aircraft structure fails.
Yes, we are all aware of the technical definition and root of the term. It is being used here as a reference to a situation where you cannot go faster (cuz terrain) and cannot go slower (cuz stall). Thanks for the flex. You must be fun at parties.
@@roymollenkamp991 Any time! I always try to save people from embarrassing themselves in front of other aviators.
I actually do fairly well at parties, but then again, I am surrounded by people who know what they are talking about.
"There are no OLD, BOLD pilots." Sure there are, Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Robin Olds, ... ... ... they don't come more 'bold' than these guys, and the list is much longer. I know what you're trying to say, and you make some good points in the video but I just hope the Tweto's take it the right way. ^v^
I only knew of him from the TV show, yet he seemed genuine and good person.
You should at least update this with what is factually known now. We may not know for certain why, but the 180's left horizontal stabilizer struck a 4" diameter spruce tree snapping it in half. The NTSB report has photos of both the severed tree (with the planes red paint on it), as well as the damage to the stabilizer...which has the tree fibers in it.
Thank you for providing an update!
Bull shit, old bold, retired. But the best, most successful old bold pilots: Charles Limbergh, James Doolittle, Eddie Rickenbacker, for America.
Sure I missed a bunch.
Why didn't Jim use a more powerful plane for jobs where it was clear that the performance of his Cessna 180 would be marginal at best? Do you think ERA might face legal repercussions if it is determined that his aircraft wasn't being operated in a safe manner (i.e. overloaded)? I also wonder what you think of his practices as shown on the TV show of having his clients throw out items of cargo to reduce the landing weight of his aircraft. Is that an acceptable practice in Alaska? I can't imagine it would be in many jurisdictions.
The C-180 is a great plane to use for this type of work. Further information was released regarding the crash and I'm working on an additional video as a follow up. I'm sure the legal component will be a messy one.
Very good video. Man he is going to be missed in the Bush pilot community for sure .
Big loss for sure. Thanks for watching!
I learned to fly in the northern Nevada Sierras with the challenges of altitude, summer heat and afternoon winds and I have always felt it was an advantage to my skills as a pilot. When Someone with the skills and experience of Jim is lost it is a definite wake up call to all of us. It is rarely only one mistake that gets you but a series of mistakes we make. Most pilots I know have had a close call or two in their time flying. RIP and best wishes to the Family
Ol` Jim flirted with the devil one too many times? I always hated weak take offs. Got rid of a Cessna 140 because it liked the ground too much. Damn shame what happened to Jim Tweto.
Glad to hear you upgraded. Be safe out there. Thanks for watching!
Yup, his luck bag was empty.
I had no idea how complex bush flying is, every takeoff is a calculated risk. I'm sure Tweto knew this. Even if you know your aircraft inside and out, theres so many external factors that you've explained that makes this an incredibly risky line of work for a commercial pilot. Massive respect to him. I didn't watch the show very often as the editing made me cringe and made him look reckless, as it makes for good TV. Thanks for making this video again Chris.
I'm sure my editing has given you the same reaction. 😆 Appreciate the comment, thanks for watching!
The main difference is that the culture of bush flying doesn't carry scales with them to weigh everything as it is loaded. If they flew in they can fly out, usually. But then you get hunters bagging 500+ pounds of meat or whatever and you have a situation of not being able to fly them out. A great pilot can get all the possible performance from the plane in the available conditions but physics is in charge. That pilot needs to stay within the limits applied at that field, they need to know the atmospheric conditions, exactly how much drag the runway will induce, height of the trees at the end, the wind speed and direction, and the weight of every object going into the plane and where it is positioned to be able to do a proper weight and balance on it. And then how much fuel is onboard, is the engine performing at it's rated levels, etc. In non bush flying this is much more commonly done, but in bush flying it's usually not done well when picking people up in the remote areas where they are being fetched from. Doing all these steps though removes most of the risk.
The incideant is quite sobering. Just shows that even the best can misjudge conditions or underestimate a load.
Disagree.
There is no "underestimating" conditions.
It's actually, ah we can make it.... Get there itis.
It happens fast. Definitely lost a Legend. Thanks for watching!
One factor that does not seem to be addressed is that he was under the influence of reality TV participation. Not good for sound decision making.
Jim hasn't been on TV in a number of years. With updated information released, I'm going to take a deeper dive into what I think happened.
Sometimes it's better to just listen.
Thanks for the great video! I've been a pilot since 1970, but I have never done any bush flying. I think these guys and gals live on the edge constantly, and that's the rush for them. Unfortunately, once in a while, the basics bite them in the butt! I worked as an air traffic controller and they did a study on when ATC deviations occur. Almost to a one, the controllers had a minimal workload and were conducting normal ops, but had become complacent about working the position due to over-familiarity. Just saying there may be some correlation there...
Appreciate the reference to ATC. Interesting comment. Doesn't take much for procedural drift. Thanks for watching!
Damn. This one hurt. I followed Jim on the TV show and felt bonded to the family and all the crew they featured. What also hurts is that if it could happen to Jim, it could happen to me. I fly a C205 and can carry 1500 pounds. But you made some great points, Chris. Altitude density, the airstrip conditions, so many things, so many variables. My 1500 pounds for my homebase strip might be 2000 pounds on a lesser surface, or in compromising density altitude. Well done.
Definitely depends on the strip. Thanks for watching! Be safe out there in the 205.
YOUR LOGIC IS SKEWED BUT THE POINT REMAINS BUDDY BOY JACOB
"My 1500 pounds for my homebase strip might be 2000 pounds on a lesser surface, or in compromising density altitude"
Say what? I think ya got that backward.
@@beer1for2break3fast4 Here, let me use some extra words that I left out because they weren’t necessary. But apparently it isn’t obvious to everyone how the logic works. Here goes. If my airplane can carry 1500 pounds at my homebase airstrip at sea level on a day when the temperature is 70°F, it would be like trying to carry 2000 pounds at an airstrip at a greater altitude, with a shorter runway length, and in some altitude density. There you go. 🙄
How do you ever have a problem if you’re flying a caravan?
The caravan is very easy to overload. Large interior plus pods. You can haul a house in that bird.
If there is a moderate slope and a mild wind, I would take off down-slope with a tailwind over up-hill with a headwind. Yes, you will need more ground speed which requires more runway length, but you also get more acceleration which requires less runway length. And even if it takes a little more runway, take-off run didn't seem to be limiting with a 4000ft runway. After you are airborne, you don't need to achieve a positive climb rate. You can just remain level gaining speed and let the terrain descend under you. Of course, it will depend on the magnitude of the slope and wind, and the best thing is to consult the airplane manual to calculate the required runway length for given wind and slope conditions and add your personal margins over it.
Agreed.. especially heavy, uphill is more work, also he didn’t mention flaps.. with the Caravan, flaps make all the difference.
lots of "maybe" in this accident but simply what happened was Jim hung it out to dry one time too many and it caught up to him. CFIT. Sincere condolences to family, loved ones and friends. Such a shame.
One time I weighed a Chieftain for a 135 operator. He left his map case inside and some of the drawers in the furniture had some items inside them too. He was mad I weighed it that way. So, I asked him, "Do you take these items out before you fly?" He might have wanted a little extra "legal" load capacity, but he got a small margin of safety instead. Think about it.
It doesn't take much for pushing the weight to become a norm. Good call on your part. Thanks for watching!
i am struggling to understand how his low speed on take off could do so much damage to the aircraft. so sad to hear about Jim Tweto,
He would be at full power and unable to climb as he would have entered the slow flight range (back side of the power curve). The airplane can't climb in this range as there isn't enough lift being produced over the wing. Thanks for watching!
At the end of the day weight and balance calculations always falls on the PIC in situations like this. Density altitude is no joke…my guess is he was facing the 3 “H”s …Hot…Humid…Heavy…many many years ago I was on a cross country training flight for my commercial rating. I landed @Heber airport (5675 MSL). Upon landing I noticed the landing roll was a bit longer than anticipated and that my in flight fuel consumption was less than expected. Basically it was too hot to take off again with as much fuel as we had on board…my CFI and I had to recalculate for the current atmospheric conditions and determined that we’d have to wait another couple of hours for cooler temperatures before we could safely take off …we probably could have made it at the earliest time however both myself and my instructor thought it best just to wait…NOBODY EVER NEEDS TO FLY…get there itis is fatal damn near every time…patience is a life saver in aviation
Good lesson to learn early on. Thanks for watching!
Jim's plane was overloaded with bear. plain and simple.
Jim had to be overweight and not realized it or what??
From my own experience, you know you're heavy and have done it in the past. You really get to know what the aircraft can do after thousands of hours spent flying it. Thanks for watching it!
It’s with a heavy heart to hear the news of his passing, prayers for all the families.
Complacency will get the best of Pilots. RIP Jim
Good video but the title is absolutely horrible. Ridiculous. You've attached a cliche to the death of a good pilot. If someone did a bit of logical research they'd see that the cliche is one of pure ignorance.
I appreciate the feedback.
@thisisyourcaptainspeaking . Sorry I sounded a bit harsh but the cliche is one that personally I'm very tired of hearing. And to the Tweto family it might seem disrespectful. I don't think you intended it that way and in the video you didn't show any disrespect. Anyway, just wanted to clarify that I'm not trying to attack you...just the title.
BARN STORMING!
I miss flying part 135 in the backcountry but I’m also glad I don’t do it anymore. Almost all of my close calls came from that period in my career. I was taught by the best and I still learned a lot just by getting out there and doing it. Every day was different and every situation presented some type of challenge.
Learn something new everyday. Thanks for watching!
My heart goes out to the family. Such a tremendous loss. Heartbroken to hear the news about Jim.
CC golf pro was big hunter in AK and Mont. Used same guide/ pilot for yrs(later killed in crash on pick up) --told several stories of river gravel landings and TO's and one very dark night TO using case of toilet paper avgas rwy lighting !
Pickup is always the most challenging. Thanks for watching!
Jim was a good pilot. I've flown with several times and he didn't take chances. Something happened he didn't have control of.
The pundits can't see beyond the speculative and physical evidence available on the internet.
I'd fly with Jim any day; wealth of knowledge and experience.
I've also sat at a remote strip and thought, that's a lot of stuff and this strip is trash today, I think I can make it work. We'll see what the NTSB comes back with. I hope I'm wrong but from personal experience, it's the direction I'm leaning. Thanks for watching.
With more than 4,000 hrs PIC flying bush Alaska, delivering hunters, fisherman, miners , groceries, meat etc. on and off of sandbars, mountain tops, beaches, mud flats, ice etc. and having lost a few "bold" pilot friends over the years I learned from my own bravado to check it at home and be very circumspect and cautious about every aspect of flight. From the moment the prop starts to the moment you shut down fly the airplane and keep thinking. Easier said than done. And even then..
I agree. You're never done flying the airplane until it's in the hangar. Appreciate the comment, thanks for watching!
Wow . . .enjoyed his show and his (and families) humbelness. Wish his family the best. Thanks for sharing!
Great video. Lot’s of pressure flying bush. Best advice I ever got from an instructor was “never die of embarrassment”. If the numbers don’t add up it’s a no-go.
thats a good quote. Mine is "if I ever cause an investigation, I want them to have to work hard to find the cause."
Based on the video, sounds like everyone is willing to take risks to get the job done.
There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. But there are no old bold pilots. My father pounded this phrase into my head for my entire life. And it's so true.
RIP Jim 🙏
An early morning departure (just after first light) gives both improved aerodynamic & engine performance given the greater air density at that time. It assisted my C-182 take-off many years ago at Mount Hotham, Victora, Australia, when the grass strip was covered by overnight snow. After a warm water deice then a few runs up and down the strip to create channels in the snow to reduce friction on the wheels, I was ready to go.Once airbourne in the ground effect, it was time to accelerate to a safe climb speed then headed for home. The performance improvement was very noticeble with increased engine power, air mass flow from the prop and aerodynamic effects from the high density cold air.
If I were a bush driver with a single engine plane of marginal power, best lift off under max weight for the prevailing conditions, shed as much weight as you can in order to lift off safely from a dirt strip. The caravan you fly is a tad underpowered, and stupid to ramp the guts out of the engine and expect it to drag you out of a sticky situation.
After flying those bush strips that one things that sticks in my mind is why we never taper the height of those trees on the ends of the runway. There's a real pucker factor when you're committed and still flying at a wall of trees.
Usually, there's a political reason we can't improve the safety of airports. This group and that group needs consultation. There is too much red tape. Thanks for watching!
3:25 "I quit flying the bush ... after 4 or 5 years . . . "
INDEED, Risk = risk * time~frequency. Presumably experience
improves per event odds, BUTT for that devil : "Complacency."
May we lean the lessons others die to tell us.
Maybe the weight of the bear in the back messed up the centre of gravity? I think the optimum CG position for a straight-winged plane is between 25% and 31% back from the leading edge, and if its beyond those limits the handling suffers.
PS Captain you mentioned bad ground effect in relation to your own experience, I always thought the GE "cushion" was a good thing to help planes lift off, so please clue us in about it a bit more..:)
A shift in C of G could cause Jim to reduce power in order to keep his nose down. Though it's a small cabin, a bear would use up all the space.
I couldn't climb out of ground effect. Definitely need ground effect to get airborne but at max weights on short strips, you may run out of runway before hitting the required speed to climb. Thanks for watching!
@@thisisyourcaptainspeaking Thanks, and the early Comet jet airliners ran off the end of the runways because they couldn't get out of ground effect. The unusual "fix" by de Havilland was to tell pilots to push the yoke gently forward (against the pilots instinct) as takeoff speed was reached in order to 'skate over' GE til speed built up a little more.
I became a fan of the Tweeto family and Jim's flying when Flying Wild Alaska was airing and send my condolences to his family. You've provided a fair and decent image of off-airport flying and its hazards, nicely done. And nice photo of the Vedder Canal at 4:25/6 :-)
Thanks for watching!
Gosh dang it......the Crocodile Hunter all over again.
How do you weigh the load under those circumstances? Do you have a scale with you?
No scale. Best guess based on years of loading the aircraft or possibly a previous manifest. It's bush flying; fly by the seat of your pants. Thanks for watching!
@@thisisyourcaptainspeaking I had a feeling that's how it is. So basically you can't use any objective performance data at any point since not only all the environmental information is a big unknown, but you don't even have the weight. The degree of risk is completely out of control.
@@alk672 educated guess based on years of loading and unloading. He would have had a weight on what the guide took with him. The bear would have been the unknown.
I'm fairly old.
Glider pilot and Tow plane pilot !
A classic case of running out of air speed luck and ideas all at once I know been there!
Pilots fly risky scenarios until they don't need to fly risky scenarios anymore. Hopefully you make it out of the first part intact.
I had something similar - one brake dragging, so compensating, cruise prop, very hot day, heavy passenger.......sagged back to ground when I tried to lift off; trees/power lines ahead; eventually got her flying and STAYED in ground effect to try an eke out a bit more speed - over the trees, stuffed nose down; more ground effect; up over next trees, diito, then finally enough speed to climb. Bad decision making.
Sounds like a change of underwear was in order. Thanks for watching!
@@thisisyourcaptainspeaking I have faced worse flying - spiral dive in heavy cloud! "Mission fixation". Terrifying, but my RAF training saved my life - panic useless. Pilots MUST keep calm - landing in gusty conditions is a good teacher, "Relax. Do your best." Best wishes!
Yep, I heard of Jim Tweto passing on the Blancolirio channel and very sad to hear. Unfortunately I see another topic that has come up more than once lately, is these horrible crashes of pilots trying the Impossible turn. In most of these crashes engine failure on take off was the cause, and unfortunately the decision to make that turn lead to terrible crashes with many not surviving it.
I believe he sold the business.
Thanks for that. I'm sure his head was still in the game. He spent his life building it. Thanks for watching!
Sorry. But I stand with animals. He got a taste of his own medicine. Don’t be mad when the universe reciprocates. This isn’t the first and won’t be the last.
RIP. Prayers go out to the families
Too much speculating , not fair to Tweto.
There's a lesson to be learned through every experience and accident. Having more dialog around bush flying and the risks is what I'm hopeful for. Thanks for watching.
You make a whole host of assumptions that may or may not be fact.
My best guess based on two decades of flying. Thanks for watching!
Don't kill bears for fun and don't overload your aircraft = better chances of getting home.