"On Saturday, December 16, 2023, three of the former Afghan Air Force pilots, now residing in the United States, were killed in a single engine plane crash in Independence, Oregon. Major Mohammad Bashir Safdari, Major Sayed Hussain Musawi, and Lieutenant Ali Jan Ferdawsi were C-208 pilots of the Afghan Air Force and received their pilot's wings under a U.S. Air Force training program in conjunction with Raytheon Technologies. All three Afghan officers worked with their American military advisors until the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban on August 15, 2021. As the Taliban closed in on the capital city of Kabul, Afghanistan that fateful day in August 2021, the remaining elements of the Afghan Air Force and Special Mission Wing flew their aircraft, under fire, out of Afghanistan to the neighboring countries of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This heroic action prevented the aircraft from falling into the hands of the Taliban, but also meant leaving their families and loved ones behind in Afghanistan. Major Safdari, Major Musawi, and Lieutenant Ferdawsi flew to Tajikistan where they were placed in a detention camp for more than two months, then sent to another camp to the United Arab Emirates, and eventually brought to the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome where they were placed in refugee camps on U.S. military bases. Resettled around the United States, these men and women of the Afghan Air Force and Special Mission Wing were granted Humanitarian Parole because a return to Afghanistan would have resulted in their execution by the Taliban. Major Safdari and Major Musawi graduated from the National Military Academy of Afghanistan, and Lieutenant Ferdawsi graduated from the Afghan Air Force Academy. All three officers were married with children. These families remained behind, and in hiding, in Afghanistan. The officers sent money home each month to support their families and were their sole sources of financial support in a country where the U.N. estimates 94% of families face food shortages. All three officers applied for, and received, asylum and were in process of becoming legal permanent residents in the United States. They were awaiting the arrival of their wives and children whom they had not seen since August 2021. Family reunification for these three heroes and the rest of the Afghan Air Force and Special Mission Wing has been pending for more than two years."
It is a shame they were still waiting on their wives and children. People are pouring across the border, yet these people were waiting forever. I wonder what will happen with them now?
Juan, when I emailed you the original story on this crash I had no idea of the story within the story. The background information on Major Mohammad Bashir Safdari, Major Sayed Hussain Musawi, and Lieutenant Ali Jan Ferdawsi is quite interesting. I thank you for once again delving into the human aspect, and I hope that someone can sponsor their families out of Afghanistan. Keep up the great work, Sir. I just told Keoni from ARFF World yesterday that his channel, and your channel are my 2 go-to channels. He does the firefighting aspect and you the technical.
@@DN-kz7xl so true, he Juan(Blancolirio) has the strength of heart and character it takes to report mournful accidents such as this with a humility and honesty.
I agree! Having had the chance to fly with Ali, who was just a passenger on this tragic flight, and hear his story firsthand, this is a particularly tough one.
I remember in the '70s flying from Salem back to Eugene at 4500 ft. around 2100 when I noticed some fog creeping into the valley. Eugene was still reporting clear so I continued with the fog gradually looking thicker on along the ground. I checked with Eugene several times with no change until suddenly I was in zero visibility in the fog. I called Eugene again and my suspicion is they finally looked outside and found that they were fogged in and were closing up for the night. I then performed a nice standard rate turn back towards Salem. Luckily they were clear and I ended up staying the night.
Many years ago, flew out of that airport on a flight to sightsee. The weather was beautiful and clear, and turned about 30 minutes into the flight. We barely made it back to the airport before the fog rolled in. It was truly terrifying how fast the weather can change in that area.
Aircraft enthusiast-/ non- pilot- Could they require all small planes to be cargo-parachuted? ?seems to me, stall it in IFR conditions & pop- the-chute??
@@nathanrunkle2128 physically possible yes, but practically and economically no. The Cirrus sr22 has it, and it's an expensive airplane to buy and maintain. The parachute and jettison system on the Cirrus has to be serviced and repacked every 10 years at a current cost of around $25,000. If you could afford a Cirrus s22...I supposed $25k every 10 years is insignificant. For the rest of the general aviation aircraft and pilots this would be economically prohibitive.
Thank you Juan for your professional perspective in the tragic loss of these good guys. Your respectful analysis of mistakes and lessons to be learned are priceless.
The ultimate aviation tragedy….about 25 years ago, a non-instrument rated pilot (working on his IR) operating out of my airport was on a business trip to St.Louis area with a co-worker in, I believe, a Cherokee. They were supposed to return to Chicago on Friday but delayed because of wx. They left on Saturday which was still not good. The pax was a young woman who just had a baby. The pilots daughter’s birthday was that Saturday. Both were in a rush to get home. He for his daughter’s BD and she to get home to her infant. They ran into decending cloud base and he tried to scud run in off the VOR approach into our airport. They flew right into the ground a few miles south of the airport and were both killed. Can you imagine that every year his daughter’s birthday is also the anniversary of her father’s death and he died trying to get home for her party…and the infant that was left motherless for the rest of her life? For the rest of us, we were reminded of the tragedy for weeks on end because their cars were parked in the lot at the airport until they were removed. It was a somber time and a succinct reminder that aviation can be unforgiving. “Fate is the Hunter”.
I served as a combat advisor working with the Afghans on two tours... on the ground, not the air. I worked with a lot of Afghans who sounded just like that pilot. Our interpreters were just like these young pilots. They had a vision for their country; they were Afghan patriots. I'll always be sad for Afghanistan, the way it's gone. I'm also sad for my grandchildren, who will have to deal with threats that emerge from that region during their lifetime because I... and my compatriots... couldn't get the job done. RIP Afghan pilots. Zindabad Afghanistan.
From what I've read the Afghan military turned traitor and went over to the Taliban side. There are countless stories of Afghan army troops abandoning their posts and either leaving their weapons for the enemy or outright giving them to the enemy. It is reported that millions of AK-47s went unaccounted for and tens of millions of rounds of ammo. America was essentially totally feeding the enemy with rifles and ammo. This was during the first war in Afghanistan.
@@rael5469Maybe that’s true but it wasn’t universal. In fact these specific pilots helped ferry aircraft out before the Taliban could get their hands on them.
My daughter and I went to the airport and decided not to fly that day in nearby Mulino. Stunning to learn of this later that evening. Thank you for sharing with us who these incredible people were. Heartfelt condolences to their families and the entire Independence community as well.
Devastating accident. Thank you for your service to the USAF, the US and to the good people of Afghanistan. I hope your families can someday immigrate to the US and know that we appreciate the work they did under what was no doubt enormous danger for them. I salute you.
I contacted whoever I could during the Afghanistan rushed drawdown to offer my home for whichever Afghanistan people could use accommodations, but I never heard back... you know the red tape, 😢 such a raw deal that rapid devolution to barbarism 😢
My wife and i were there that morning before this happened. It was very foggy. I spoke with the person we met there near the runway about it. He said,” These days are great days to stay in the hanger and work on our projects”
This hits hard as I spent many hours at Independence Airport planespotting while attending WOU in Monmouth. Went through my plane photos and happened to find a few pics of N3992L landing/taking off. Such a sad tragedy.
What a sad story, we are in the PDX area and were wondering what happened. Thanks for all you do Juan, you are a great asset to the aviation community. Happy Holidays to you and all of your loved ones.
Juan: Thanks for reporting such a totally heartbreaking accident. My deepest condolences to three dedicated airmen working to bring their families to the US so they could be together.
Holy crap! I was flying just north of there that day! Took off from Twin Oaks, went south as far a McMinnville and yeah any further south was just covered in fog so I turned back around. Another pilot I talked to was wanting to do a cross country to Corvallis but cancelled due to weather. Incredibly sad!
Wow this is so sad. Thanks for the back story Juan. They worked hard and came so far in their life to pursue their dreams. I hope their memory will live on with all the good they did in the world. With all the flight time they had as a group, I'm confused on why they made this decision to fly?
I landed at Independence once back in the 1990's. Neat little airport. I live on the coast and deal with fog a lot, but I’ve also diverted to another airport because of fog. Sometimes you just have to be patient and put get homeitis away and divert to another airport and wait the weather out. With the experience these pilots had, one would think they knew better than to try and land in the fog. Sad.
This is a heart-breaker. I'm holding back the tears as my way to honor these men and their families. If I started crying, I would be crying for all the other grief in the world at this time. They would have been worthy of citizenship, and would have contributed much to this country- a home for the Free and land of the Brave. Peace be unto them.
For those interested in a detailed view of the impact point, you may search the calculated Streetview address of 8607 Hoffman Rd. The pole is 590’ WNW of the approach end of runway 34 in a small untilled patch of farmland adjacent to the N side of Hoffman, which is surrounded by acres of tilled farmland having no structures. This contrasts to a dense new subdivision of two-story homes immediately to the S side of Hoffman. Thus, depending on the flight path, they could have descended either into wide open fields or dozens of homes, so things could have been much, much worse. If they were headed S, it could be said that the pole or attached lines took a few lives, but saved many. Note that Hoffman and the power lines have both N-S and E-W segments due to several right-angle turns in both, so the description “parallel” does not leave a clear picture in the mind as would the overhead view from GE, so it is worth checking out. One other odd bit about the location is that the NE-most home, directly across Hoffman from the pole, has been blurred in Streetview. Sometimes this is done because the home attracts unwanted attention due to being a crime scene, famous occurrence (movie filming location, etc.), or simply because the occupants are paranoid. Could it be that there was an earlier accident and, being closest to the runway that home was involved? Perhaps a local can fill in that blank.
That’s always the concern for the general public, that these guys in their cheaply made aircraft come down on somebody’s house. Play around in your toys and use your poor decision making skills to take yourselves out, but leave people on the ground out of it please.
Just thinking out loud. I have spoken with a couple of men , friends of my son, when flew in Afghanistan. They said they often joked about not having to worry about fog there but instead ground fire. You said a mouthful when you mentioned poor side angle visibility. I find myself reflecting on it EVERY TIME I'm in poor visibility conditions. I wonder how their possible absence of fog/poor weather visibility experience impacted their decision. Fog in particular. I have been fooled more than once flying in fog in decent pure vertical visibility conditions while at the same time having dam near zero side angle visibility. When my dad gave me my very first flight instructions ( circa 1962) he made me wear eyeglass frames he fashioned into ( side blinders) if you will by taping cardboard side pieces to the frames. The idea was to reinforce how absolutely critical good side/side angle vision is. We tend to take it for granted UNTIL we are knee deep in it. Great work here sir. Such a tragedy for three families to endure.
Saw this written on a photo hung on the wall at Sunshine Aviation in Auburn when I started training at age 16. “Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous, But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect." I’ve never forgotten it.
Juan, thank you so much for covering these in such a timely manner. This is fairly close to home so it hit the local news and I was hoping you were going to investigate it. I'm so glad you did. It reminded me not to judge a book by its cover. My first thought was just another low time pilot caught by the grim reaper hiding in the fog. Turns out these guys had combat flight experience. And flying GA aircraft no less. I'm so sorry this happened. These guys deserved better.
Very sorry to hear it. Hard to think of the sadness of this news going all the way back to their families after they have endured so much hardship thus far. Prayers for them and all their loved ones. Memory Eternal.
Worked on my commercial back in the 1970s out of Concord Buchanan airport in Bay Area. Flew to Palo Alto and fog bank moved into Buchanan field. Called FBO…told them I would NOT get the plane back that evening. I did not have an instrument rating. Boy were they mad. Old pilots/bold pilots, I’m 78yo.
Nicely done sentiment for some dedicated aviators who died trying to better their skills. I’m a Willamette Valley VFR PPSEL and have enjoyed flying 7S5 for 30 years. I have had to execute a 180 out of quickly forming IMC while enroute to Independence. It is deceiving in that area for a reason I can not put my finger on. I’d like to own a home on that airfield someday. I was at the STOL demonstration you MC’d there. That was a fun day of spectacular pilotage.
These GA Crashes are becoming Way to Frequent!! It truly hurts my Soul Hearing about these Accidents! Edit: 6:14 Oh wow I had no idea who the pilots were. This is so Terribly Heartbreaking!! These men were True HEROES, Who Not only Risked their Lives in Combat to Help their Country but to Help the Men & Women of The US & Allied Forces in Afghanistan!! May these 3 Brave Selfless Heros RIP & May their Family & Friends know there are many people in the US who are grieving for their loved ones and will Remember these men as Hero’s!
So that made me cry. Every loss of live is sad, especially when it's because of a preventable accident, but the story of their mission hit me hard in the feels. They just wanted a better life for their country, and I assume a good one in this country. Their poor families. PNW fog is it's own kind of monster. It's low and wet, and visibility sucks no matter the mode of travel. I can remember as a little girl walking to school I would have to look at the ground to navigate on winter mornings cause it's all you could see. I moved to Arizona two years ago and while I'm desperately homesick I don't miss the fog. And rain.
RIP . I worked with some great Afghanistan men in my year over there as a combat advisor I hope the people of the area try to get the family's to America. These men deserve to have their loved ones brought to America. 😢
Even during my last few years with the airlines every one had this hurry up attitude which can get you in trouble ! For some reason Safety takes a back seat with this attitude ! When this attitude is present you should recognize it and always give safety the benefit of the doubt ! Don’t worry about what people will think just do the safe thing Even if it means canceling the flight ! Or getting fired !The airline I worked for hated me when I’d cancel a flight for weather, maintenance, or Anything that I thought was safety related . I didn’t Have anything to prove and I was not going to operate with the attitude that I would probably be ok ! Now I operate with the Attitude that I will be ok ! You make your own luck in aviation you don’t rely on it! (True Safety Is No Accident) God Bless All The Innocent passengers that have perished with this hurry up attitude! It just ain’t fair ! Fly Safe Captain Mark H Wirth
😢😢😢 My goodness so terribly sad! These 3 men were all doing the right thing and I know they would have been an asset to our County as pilots! God rest their souls 🙏 💔 ❤️ 😢 I feel terrible for their families back in Afghanistan where I'm sure the families will have ZERO chance to travel to the US for anything, let alone to deal with the sudden deaths of their loved ones! I seriously doubt the Taliban would allow their remains to be accepted into Afghanistan, just as the Taliban for sure won't allow the family to travel here! Such a tragedy all the way around 😢 💔
Juan, what I have done was make my own EMERGENCY poor man's ILS "For EMERGENCY Situation ONLY" with my GPS. I stored weigh points on each tip end of the runway "Flat Land ONLY" Then put two weigh points directly 5-10 miles off of each end of the runway. For example a runway that runs true North and South, say runway 36 and 18, for example purposes. If I were landing to the south on Rwy 18, 5-10 miles north of the runway, I stored a GPS weigh point. So, coming from the south, I fly 5 miles north of the Northern weigh point, do a 180 deg turn and flew to my stored nothern GPS weigh point. Just about a mile before getting to the northern weigh point, I then entered a flight plan from the northern weigh point to the weigh point I stored for the tip end of Rwy 36 "Keep in mind I'm landing to the south". Then I simply followed my needle "Had my GPS indicator coupled with my VOR needle" and just flew a precise course between the two stored weigh points bringing you to the northern tip of the runway landing to the south. I also monitor the Unicom frequency. While out practicing VFR, I visually noted obstacles, marked them on my plate, and noted my altitude at each mile between the two weigh points on my home made "Approach Plate". I would go out with a safety pilot, get under the hood and just practiced it 2-3 times a month and each time I hit it right on the nail! I KNOW this is not advisible and should not be done purposely just to sneak into a field when it's IFR, but it can and will save your life in an emergency situation when you have no other option. "Also note my home airport was a rural, flat land, country airport with VERY little traffic and NO nav aids". I never had to use this method thank goodness, but it was better than NOTHING and when you have no alternate due to fuel or some other reason and you have to land. Anyone with a GPS could do the same, ONLY in a life and death situation like these guys were in, I believe it could have saved their lives if they had done this. Also note my airport did not have mountains or other conflicting geography/obsticles or highly populated area, just very flat rural farm land. Have you or anyone else ever done this, what are your thoughts on this? "LIFE AND DEATH EMERGENCY ONLY"?? OK, now "Let the FLAMING begin"
RIP to these Afghan Heros. Not all these people were evil. These were examples of what positive immigration and assimilation looked like. RIP to these Pilots.
This one hits close to home - I flew out from the Seattle area to Astoria that same afternoon and on the way home about an hour before sunset was watching fog start to form in the valleys to my south. We were a bit drier further north and stayed clear. The day before I had planned to go flying and at my house at 500 ft it was clear blue skies, but in the valley airport where my plane is based it was 1/4 mile visibility and stayed that way all day.
I was over the area about an hour before the accident. It was very foggy to about 500'. Clear air where I was, but to the south, 100% blanket of fog as the sun was setting at 4:00.
I fly out of Grove about an hourish north, and this video has me thinking-it might not be a bad idea to get together a list of names of people who are willing, if time allows, to pick up pilots who have to divert due to weather. If you don’t know how you’d get back to your home field and don’t have someone at home with a second car, it can be more tempting to keep flying when you otherwise shouldn’t. If there’s a message group of names/numbers to send a message too…”Hey, had to divert to SPB due to fog rolling in/winds kicking up too high/etc, can someone please come get me?”…that might make diverting easier to do.
Good idea. For those who want to take advantage of the weather windows this time of year to get that flight in, you simply have to expect that there's a good chance that fog will form and already have a plan in place in that event, so you don't have to try and work it out later. Fog can form very fast and you simply have to accept it.
You're a good soul. Great idea. I would have. In my earlier comment, I almost killed myself as a young time pilot with get-home-itis in fog from Hillsboro and into this airport. Even the FSS was surprised I still flew after getting the Wx.
Damn. I can't count the number of times I've flown into Independence. The valley fog seems to be heaviest in the south half of the valley, between Salem and Eugene, and I've often returned home with the clear and sunny weather from elsewhere to find solid fog sitting over that region.
Very sorry to hear this. As a commercial pilot and Oregonian, this hit close to home. These were good men, making their way in a difficult world and trying their best to find a better life and take care of their families. May they rest in peace, and may God be with them.
I live in Talbot, right across the river from Independence. That day we had a temperature inversion and stayed in heavy fog all day. It usually lifts around noon, but that day it never did.
"Get-there-itis" is eerily seducing. I wanted to return a C-172 I rented from Van Nuys CA. Departing Las Vegas, the downdraft over the mountains SW on the departure was so intense I was at best rate of climb and still VSI (VVI) showing -750 ft/min. At night, pitch black. We immediately turned around. The owner was grateful I made that decision. So when I hear of a tragedy like Saturday's, it makes me realize this can happen to any one of us. All it takes is one bad second.
My Neighborhood, kinda. Landed at that airport several times with my dad, and yes I remember him checking and spotting those power line demarcation/indicators on his Flying maps(no electronics at that time). So sad for all involved. Scotts Miracle grow home fertilizer is blended and shipped from Independence. I have hauled bark dust into the plant and watched the private aircraft fly overhead. Thanks Juan.
Question: Is there any sort of “hey I’m a pilot and I need a ride due to safety/weather/mechanical” sort of quick, easy to use, website or app? If not, let’s start one. Thanks Juan!
This is sad to hear. I spent 2010 and 2011 in Kabul as an Air Force lieutenant colonel working with the group that equipped and trained the Afghan Air Force.
So very sad to see this one Juan. And you putting that clip in of the work they did in Afghanistan makes harder to come to grips with the loss of three very fine gentlemen😢
To me, these are always the most inexplicable and tragic of accidents. We can sit all day discussing the various aspects of the event, Get-Home-Itis, powerlines, accuracy of installed avionics, character of the PIC.. All of this is peripheral. It needs to be drummed into the heads of students from day one.. and then reiterated on a regular basis throughout their flying careers.. The rules are there, they've been adopted in response to death on far too many occasions. Nobody is saying that an aircraft cannot be flown to a successful landing in conditions below those that are deemed legal.. what we Are saying, is that it's been statistically proven time and time again that attempting an approach below those designated limits has resulted in death, way out of proportion to the approaches flown. Every PIC has a responsibility to themselves, their friends and family, passengers and all on the ground, that every flight MUST result in a successful, safe landing. 99 out of 100 is just not acceptable... 999 out of 1000 is just not acceptable.
That's a shame. It makes me sick that we abandoned those people in Afghanistan. We threw away 20 years of hard work and betrayed people who put their lives on the line to help us.
@@NoYoSaySo it allowed W. Bush to say he was a “wartime president”. It was strictly a move to boost his popularity and get reelected. Lives lost were of no consequence.
Salem was VFR at the time of the accident. KSLE 170056Z 19003KT 5SM BR CLR 02/01 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP219 KSLE 162356Z 11004KT 10SM CLR 05/03 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP214 KSLE 162256Z 14004KT 10SM CLR 06/03 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP214 FG BANK 3 SE
@@markstroble5597 McNary has a tower and ATIS on 122.55. They couldn't be bothered to find this out? The controlling FSS is McMinnville. So they couldn't call Flight Watch for current weather? It's really incomprehensible.
Every valley in the northwest was foggy that morning. I did a Cat II to KGEG that morning. It was low. Seattle was doing Cat III autoland to get in. Very sad for these guys families.
Ref. The Bristol biplane and a fun fact..When the Bismark was torpedo attacks by Fairy "Swordfishes" ( A bristol mercury powered british bi plane with two crew) the AA crews on the Bismark were firing well ahead of the aircraft because they didnt realise how slow those aircraft were flying so against all odds none were shot down and one lucky torpedo damaged the Bismarks rudder to such an extent the ship could only steam in a circle.The rest is history.
I was a private pilot back in the 70 s, 100 miles north of Spokane mountain terrain and this weather will kill you. If possible turn around and save your life.
I’m part of a helo crew who flies regularly in NorCal/southern Oregon and know how challenging the fog is in this western region. We mitigate risks by knowing our alternate landing airports, talk about fuel statuses/bingos and IIMC procedures. It’s unfortunate that these guys didn’t have ILS at the airport for the deteriorating conditions.
This is a heartbreaking. 3 men trying to improve their skills in order to support their families. My sincere condolences to the 3 families. Juan you produced a superior video that showed us the tragedy of this crash. Thank you.
I hate to say it, but they were flying a visual approach in thick fog with no approved IAP, no instrument rating and no IFR clearance. What they were doing was illegal and they paid the ultimate price for their irresponsibility.
IFR and minimums are there for a reason. As an flight instructor, i would say most rated instrument pilots are not current and or capable. God bless....I have made my fair share of mistakes.
Someone just built 3:15 a new home due north of runway 35 at Ballinger Bruce Field Texas E30 and a new power line erected to supply it. I made sure to have the power company mark the wires with red balls for this very reason!! Thanks for all your work JB!
In the last 2 weeks the weather here in the Pacific North West has been mostly IFR with SIGMETs for low visibility and icing. I have not even considered flying for the past few weeks.
Thanks for your report on this sad accident near my home. Planes returning to the Independence airport make a left turn near my house to line up on final approach when the wind is from the north. Have local pilots tried to get Oregon to install equipment at the airport to permit IFR operations? Hopefully news of this tragedy will lessen the likelihood of any other pilots making a landing attempt when conditions are below minimums. Pilots-please don’t take unnecessary risks to save time or do flying that you don’t have adequate training or experience for. I was glad my younger brother and I had his flight instructor with us on a VFR flight to advise us on a March flight many years ago to Napa from Salem when we encountered low clouds near Lake Shasta.
Juan, I am not sure ifyou heard about this one yet - a New Jersey news helicopter crashed in a heavily wooded area, two fatalities (the pilot and photographer). It's posted all over the 'net; here is some info on the helicopter: Chopper 6 was a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR, helicopter that was leased to the television station by U.S. Helicopters based in North Carolina.
Those power lines were not marked with large yellow balls like at Aurora State. Impossible to see them. Tragic waste of 3 and an airplane too. Thanks Juan!!❤
What a tragedy. All they wanted was peace. Peace. Cleared West brave pilots, no climb restrictions. On another note, a frustrating of mine in these accidents is when there was an advanced display on the panel, like the Garmin. Why wasn't that used to help orientation with runway? We'll never know. This accident just shows what a life saver tech like Garmin Autoland and Synthetic Vision can be. However the best defence is to rent a car or call or a friend to come get you. These 3 will not be forgotten and their families can be proud of what they did in Afghanistan.
If low visibility is common at Independence, perhaps a low-fuel emergency-only procedure could be set up, so that one man with a radio could stand on the runway (or at least in the adjacent fields) and, using the sound of the aircraft, provide some guidance as to where they are. If they could been located somewhere due S of the runway and in line with it, surely the results would not have been so tragic. Illegal is better than dead, especially considering nearby subdivision. Perhaps someone could practice this in good weather to see if it is feasible for emergencies.
Very sorry for the loss of these young men. The first airplane I flew in (in 1967) was a 172G SN 17254028 so probably manufactured within a couple months of 92L
"On Saturday, December 16, 2023, three of the former Afghan Air Force pilots, now residing in the United States, were killed in a single engine plane crash in Independence, Oregon. Major Mohammad Bashir Safdari, Major Sayed Hussain Musawi, and Lieutenant Ali Jan Ferdawsi were C-208 pilots of the Afghan Air Force and received their pilot's wings under a U.S. Air Force training program in conjunction with Raytheon Technologies. All three Afghan officers worked with their American military advisors until the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban on August 15, 2021.
As the Taliban closed in on the capital city of Kabul, Afghanistan that fateful day in August 2021, the remaining elements of the Afghan Air Force and Special Mission Wing flew their aircraft, under fire, out of Afghanistan to the neighboring countries of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This heroic action prevented the aircraft from falling into the hands of the Taliban, but also meant leaving their families and loved ones behind in Afghanistan. Major Safdari, Major Musawi, and Lieutenant Ferdawsi flew to Tajikistan where they were placed in a detention camp for more than two months, then sent to another camp to the United Arab Emirates, and eventually brought to the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome where they were placed in refugee camps on U.S. military bases. Resettled around the United States, these men and women of the Afghan Air Force and Special Mission Wing were granted Humanitarian Parole because a return to Afghanistan would have resulted in their execution by the Taliban.
Major Safdari and Major Musawi graduated from the National Military Academy of Afghanistan, and Lieutenant Ferdawsi graduated from the Afghan Air Force Academy. All three officers were married with children. These families remained behind, and in hiding, in Afghanistan. The officers sent money home each month to support their families and were their sole sources of financial support in a country where the U.N. estimates 94% of families face food shortages.
All three officers applied for, and received, asylum and were in process of becoming legal permanent residents in the United States. They were awaiting the arrival of their wives and children whom they had not seen since August 2021. Family reunification for these three heroes and the rest of the Afghan Air Force and Special Mission Wing has been pending for more than two years."
Dave, Australia here thanks so much for the story breaks my heart this time of year
Prayers & condolences to our precious aviation community.
My heart hurts. I flew the 208 with many of these pilots in Afghanistan.
It is a shame they were still waiting on their wives and children. People are pouring across the border, yet these people were waiting forever. I wonder what will happen with them now?
Juan, when I emailed you the original story on this crash I had no idea of the story within the story. The background information on Major Mohammad Bashir Safdari, Major Sayed Hussain Musawi, and Lieutenant Ali Jan Ferdawsi is quite interesting. I thank you for once again delving into the human aspect, and I hope that someone can sponsor their families out of Afghanistan. Keep up the great work, Sir. I just told Keoni from ARFF World yesterday that his channel, and your channel are my 2 go-to channels. He does the firefighting aspect and you the technical.
That’s a sad one JB. Thank you for playing that video segment and honoring these men, and teaching many lessons along the way.
Agreed.
That is why Blancolirio is one of the best channels out there.
@@DN-kz7xl so true, he Juan(Blancolirio) has the strength of heart and character it takes to report mournful accidents such as this with a humility and honesty.
I agree! Having had the chance to fly with Ali, who was just a passenger on this tragic flight, and hear his story firsthand, this is a particularly tough one.
I remember in the '70s flying from Salem back to Eugene at 4500 ft. around 2100 when I noticed some fog creeping into the valley. Eugene was still reporting clear so I continued with the fog gradually looking thicker on along the ground. I checked with Eugene several times with no change until suddenly I was in zero visibility in the fog. I called Eugene again and my suspicion is they finally looked outside and found that they were fogged in and were closing up for the night. I then performed a nice standard rate turn back towards Salem. Luckily they were clear and I ended up staying the night.
Could nt u have land at the swept wing
smart man, you lived to see another day
Many years ago, flew out of that airport on a flight to sightsee. The weather was beautiful and clear, and turned about 30 minutes into the flight. We barely made it back to the airport before the fog rolled in. It was truly terrifying how fast the weather can change in that area.
The weather in Willamette Valley is always fog this time of year. The atmospheric river has been a no brainer figuring how fast it will change.
F70 out here in SoCal is that way. People underestimate the visibility here quite often.
Aircraft enthusiast-/ non- pilot- Could they require all small planes to be cargo-parachuted? ?seems to me, stall it in IFR conditions & pop- the-chute??
Chute doesn’t do anything when your that low.
@@nathanrunkle2128 physically possible yes, but practically and economically no. The Cirrus sr22 has it, and it's an expensive airplane to buy and maintain. The parachute and jettison system on the Cirrus has to be serviced and repacked every 10 years at a current cost of around $25,000. If you could afford a Cirrus s22...I supposed $25k every 10 years is insignificant. For the rest of the general aviation aircraft and pilots this would be economically prohibitive.
My heart goes out to all involved and family. Thanks for keeping us updated, Juan.
get a grip on yourself Frank
Just sad. McMinnville looked like an alternate to me. When conditions get that low, it's time to divert to an ILS somewhere else or VFR conditions.
@@errorsofmodernism7331shut your mouth
@@errorsofmodernism7331Go to therapy. 🤡
Of all the flight mishaps Blancolirio documents this one really got me crying. Honorable family men.
Condolences to their families. Blessings to their loved ones.
RiP soldiers.❤
Thank you Juan for your professional perspective in the tragic loss of these good guys. Your respectful analysis of mistakes and lessons to be learned are priceless.
The ultimate aviation tragedy….about 25 years ago, a non-instrument rated pilot (working on his IR) operating out of my airport was on a business trip to St.Louis area with a co-worker in, I believe, a Cherokee. They were supposed to return to Chicago on Friday but delayed because of wx. They left on Saturday which was still not good. The pax was a young woman who just had a baby. The pilots daughter’s birthday was that Saturday. Both were in a rush to get home. He for his daughter’s BD and she to get home to her infant.
They ran into decending cloud base and he tried to scud run in off the VOR approach into our airport. They flew right into the ground a few miles south of the airport and were both killed.
Can you imagine that every year his daughter’s birthday is also the anniversary of her father’s death and he died trying to get home for her party…and the infant that was left motherless for the rest of her life?
For the rest of us, we were reminded of the tragedy for weeks on end because their cars were parked in the lot at the airport until they were removed. It was a somber time and a succinct reminder that aviation can be unforgiving. “Fate is the Hunter”.
First few pages of that book drive it home.
@@SteamCrane that is exactly right
That book still stands as the best I've read. At times I would have set it down because of how intense some of the situations were.
I served as a combat advisor working with the Afghans on two tours... on the ground, not the air. I worked with a lot of Afghans who sounded just like that pilot. Our interpreters were just like these young pilots. They had a vision for their country; they were Afghan patriots. I'll always be sad for Afghanistan, the way it's gone. I'm also sad for my grandchildren, who will have to deal with threats that emerge from that region during their lifetime because I... and my compatriots... couldn't get the job done.
RIP Afghan pilots. Zindabad Afghanistan.
From what I've read the Afghan military turned traitor and went over to the Taliban side. There are countless stories of Afghan army troops abandoning their posts and either leaving their weapons for the enemy or outright giving them to the enemy. It is reported that millions of AK-47s went unaccounted for and tens of millions of rounds of ammo. America was essentially totally feeding the enemy with rifles and ammo. This was during the first war in Afghanistan.
US should have never gone there in the first place…
@@mirazizismoilov258 Afghanistan? The Sept 11th attackers came from Afghanistan. Of course we should have gone there.
@@rael5469Maybe that’s true but it wasn’t universal. In fact these specific pilots helped ferry aircraft out before the Taliban could get their hands on them.
@@Sashazur Oh, I get it, I get it. I went to school with an Afghan engineer who worked at Ford. Just a regular guy.
It's hard to hit the like button for videos like this, but I did for the excellent presentation as usual. Thank you JB.
Well stated Sir
My daughter and I went to the airport and decided not to fly that day in nearby Mulino. Stunning to learn of this later that evening. Thank you for sharing with us who these incredible people were. Heartfelt condolences to their families and the entire Independence community as well.
fly
Devastating accident. Thank you for your service to the USAF, the US and to the good people of Afghanistan. I hope your families can someday immigrate to the US and know that we appreciate the work they did under what was no doubt enormous danger for them. I salute you.
I contacted whoever I could during the Afghanistan rushed drawdown to offer my home for whichever Afghanistan people could use accommodations, but I never heard back... you know the red tape, 😢 such a raw deal that rapid devolution to barbarism 😢
My wife and i were there that morning before this happened. It was very foggy. I spoke with the person we met there near the runway about it. He said,” These days are great days to stay in the hanger and work on our projects”
This hits hard as I spent many hours at Independence Airport planespotting while attending WOU in Monmouth. Went through my plane photos and happened to find a few pics of N3992L landing/taking off. Such a sad tragedy.
What a sad story, we are in the PDX area and were wondering what happened. Thanks for all you do Juan, you are a great asset to the aviation community. Happy Holidays to you and all of your loved ones.
Juan: Thanks for reporting such a totally heartbreaking accident. My deepest condolences to three dedicated airmen working to bring their families to the US so they could be together.
Holy crap! I was flying just north of there that day! Took off from Twin Oaks, went south as far a McMinnville and yeah any further south was just covered in fog so I turned back around. Another pilot I talked to was wanting to do a cross country to Corvallis but cancelled due to weather. Incredibly sad!
To survive flying in Afghanistan, performing missions of mercy, only to perish within the relatively safe borders of the U.S. R.I.P.
Wow this is so sad. Thanks for the back story Juan. They worked hard and came so far in their life to pursue their dreams. I hope their memory will live on with all the good they did in the world. With all the flight time they had as a group, I'm confused on why they made this decision to fly?
Could have been a case of a rented plane making them have get-home-itis. But we will never know.
Get home-itis … a silent killer, on the road as well, especially after bars close
I landed at Independence once back in the 1990's. Neat little airport. I live on the coast and deal with fog a lot, but I’ve also diverted to another airport because of fog. Sometimes you just have to be patient and put get homeitis away and divert to another airport and wait the weather out. With the experience these pilots had, one would think they knew better than to try and land in the fog. Sad.
This is a heart-breaker. I'm holding back the tears as my way to honor these men and their families. If I started crying, I would be crying for all the other grief in the world at this time. They would have been worthy of citizenship, and would have contributed much to this country- a home for the Free and land of the Brave. Peace be unto them.
Yes, agree, these men show the best of The human species.
Independence is where I did my first “cross country “ flight from creswell. The fog can get really bad in the valley this time of year.
For those interested in a detailed view of the impact point, you may search the calculated Streetview address of 8607 Hoffman Rd. The pole is 590’ WNW of the approach end of runway 34 in a small untilled patch of farmland adjacent to the N side of Hoffman, which is surrounded by acres of tilled farmland having no structures. This contrasts to a dense new subdivision of two-story homes immediately to the S side of Hoffman. Thus, depending on the flight path, they could have descended either into wide open fields or dozens of homes, so things could have been much, much worse. If they were headed S, it could be said that the pole or attached lines took a few lives, but saved many.
Note that Hoffman and the power lines have both N-S and E-W segments due to several right-angle turns in both, so the description “parallel” does not leave a clear picture in the mind as would the overhead view from GE, so it is worth checking out.
One other odd bit about the location is that the NE-most home, directly across Hoffman from the pole, has been blurred in Streetview. Sometimes this is done because the home attracts unwanted attention due to being a crime scene, famous occurrence (movie filming location, etc.), or simply because the occupants are paranoid. Could it be that there was an earlier accident and, being closest to the runway that home was involved? Perhaps a local can fill in that blank.
That’s always the concern for the general public, that these guys in their cheaply made aircraft come down on somebody’s house. Play around in your toys and use your poor decision making skills to take yourselves out, but leave people on the ground out of it please.
@@sethtenrec you've got wi-fi in your cave?? What a waste.......
@@yamahale aw, is the rich boy toy …fanboy upset that someone is noticing the pathetic legal control of their hobby?
@@sethtenrecThe airport was there before those homes were.
@@Sashazur yeah and the Native Americans were there first so get your effing airport out if that’s your logic.
Just thinking out loud. I have spoken with a couple of men , friends of my son, when flew in Afghanistan. They said they often joked about not having to worry about fog there but instead ground fire. You said a mouthful when you mentioned poor side angle visibility. I find myself reflecting on it EVERY TIME I'm in poor visibility conditions. I wonder how their possible absence of fog/poor weather visibility experience impacted their decision. Fog in particular. I have been fooled more than once flying in fog in decent pure vertical visibility conditions while at the same time having dam near zero side angle visibility. When my dad gave me my very first flight instructions ( circa 1962) he made me wear eyeglass frames he fashioned into ( side blinders) if you will by taping cardboard side pieces to the frames. The idea was to reinforce how absolutely critical good side/side angle vision is. We tend to take it for granted UNTIL we are knee deep in it. Great work here sir. Such a tragedy for three families to endure.
Saw this written on a photo hung on the wall at Sunshine Aviation in Auburn when I started training at age 16.
“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous, But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect."
I’ve never forgotten it.
It is on my shop wall as I restore my Piper.
Who said that?
@@robrob9050 I’m not sure. Good question. But I’ve certainly seen it more than once.
This was a rough one. Thank you for the break down and explanation and to also share their background story.
Juan, thank you so much for covering these in such a timely manner. This is fairly close to home so it hit the local news and I was hoping you were going to investigate it. I'm so glad you did. It reminded me not to judge a book by its cover. My first thought was just another low time pilot caught by the grim reaper hiding in the fog. Turns out these guys had combat flight experience. And flying GA aircraft no less. I'm so sorry this happened. These guys deserved better.
How very tragic. My condolences & prayers for the families & flying community. Thank you for airing the tribute to honor these men.
💔🙏🪽
Very sorry to hear it. Hard to think of the sadness of this news going all the way back to their families after they have endured so much hardship thus far. Prayers for them and all their loved ones. Memory Eternal.
6:50 “chaotic evacuation” is putting it extremely mildly
Worked on my commercial back in the 1970s out of Concord Buchanan airport in Bay Area. Flew to Palo Alto and fog bank moved into Buchanan field. Called FBO…told them I would NOT get the plane back that evening. I did not have an instrument rating. Boy were they mad. Old pilots/bold pilots, I’m 78yo.
Nicely done sentiment for some dedicated aviators who died trying to better their skills. I’m a Willamette Valley VFR PPSEL and have enjoyed flying 7S5 for 30 years. I have had to execute a 180 out of quickly forming IMC while enroute to Independence. It is deceiving in that area for a reason I can not put my finger on. I’d like to own a home on that airfield someday. I was at the STOL demonstration you MC’d there. That was a fun day of spectacular pilotage.
My ex and I had a lot on Stearman at Indepence Airpark. We ended up selling but my heart goes out to the airpark and the families involved
This one hit incredibly close to home. I've landed at that airport many times
These GA Crashes are becoming Way to Frequent!!
It truly hurts my Soul Hearing about these Accidents!
Edit:
6:14 Oh wow I had no idea who the pilots were. This is so Terribly Heartbreaking!! These men were True HEROES, Who Not only Risked their Lives in Combat to Help their Country but to Help the Men & Women of The US & Allied Forces in Afghanistan!!
May these 3 Brave Selfless Heros RIP & May their Family & Friends know there are many people in the US who are grieving for their loved ones and will Remember these men as Hero’s!
Sadly they are fairly steady on GA crashes per month
GA fatalities are in the mid teens a month. There hasn't been any sudden increase. You're simply consuming more media that reports on it.
This happened in my hometown 😢 Thank you Juan for honoring those me. I never like to see events close to home end up on your channel
So that made me cry. Every loss of live is sad, especially when it's because of a preventable accident, but the story of their mission hit me hard in the feels. They just wanted a better life for their country, and I assume a good one in this country. Their poor families. PNW fog is it's own kind of monster. It's low and wet, and visibility sucks no matter the mode of travel. I can remember as a little girl walking to school I would have to look at the ground to navigate on winter mornings cause it's all you could see. I moved to Arizona two years ago and while I'm desperately homesick I don't miss the fog. And rain.
RIP . I worked with some great Afghanistan men in my year over there as a combat advisor I hope the people of the area try to get the family's to America. These men deserve to have their loved ones brought to America. 😢
Even during my last few years with the airlines every one had this hurry up attitude which can get you in trouble ! For some reason Safety takes a back seat with this attitude ! When this attitude is present you should recognize it and always give safety the benefit of the doubt ! Don’t worry about what people will think just do the safe thing
Even if it means canceling the flight ! Or getting fired !The airline I worked for hated me when I’d cancel a flight for weather, maintenance, or
Anything that I thought was safety related . I didn’t
Have anything to prove and I was not going to operate with the attitude that I would probably be ok ! Now I operate with the
Attitude that I will be ok !
You make your own luck in aviation you don’t rely on it! (True Safety Is No Accident) God Bless All The Innocent passengers that have perished with this hurry up attitude! It just ain’t fair !
Fly Safe Captain Mark H Wirth
😢😢😢 My goodness so terribly sad! These 3 men were all doing the right thing and I know they would have been an asset to our County as pilots! God rest their souls 🙏 💔 ❤️ 😢 I feel terrible for their families back in Afghanistan where I'm sure the families will have ZERO chance to travel to the US for anything, let alone to deal with the sudden deaths of their loved ones! I seriously doubt the Taliban would allow their remains to be accepted into Afghanistan, just as the Taliban for sure won't allow the family to travel here! Such a tragedy all the way around 😢 💔
Juan, what I have done was make my own EMERGENCY poor man's ILS "For EMERGENCY Situation ONLY" with my GPS. I stored weigh points on each tip end of the runway "Flat Land ONLY" Then put two weigh points directly 5-10 miles off of each end of the runway. For example a runway that runs true North and South, say runway 36 and 18, for example purposes. If I were landing to the south on Rwy 18, 5-10 miles north of the runway, I stored a GPS weigh point. So, coming from the south, I fly 5 miles north of the Northern weigh point, do a 180 deg turn and flew to my stored nothern GPS weigh point. Just about a mile before getting to the northern weigh point, I then entered a flight plan from the northern weigh point to the weigh point I stored for the tip end of Rwy 36 "Keep in mind I'm landing to the south". Then I simply followed my needle "Had my GPS indicator coupled with my VOR needle" and just flew a precise course between the two stored weigh points bringing you to the northern tip of the runway landing to the south. I also monitor the Unicom frequency. While out practicing VFR, I visually noted obstacles, marked them on my plate, and noted my altitude at each mile between the two weigh points on my home made "Approach Plate". I would go out with a safety pilot, get under the hood and just practiced it 2-3 times a month and each time I hit it right on the nail! I KNOW this is not advisible and should not be done purposely just to sneak into a field when it's IFR, but it can and will save your life in an emergency situation when you have no other option. "Also note my home airport was a rural, flat land, country airport with VERY little traffic and NO nav aids". I never had to use this method thank goodness, but it was better than NOTHING and when you have no alternate due to fuel or some other reason and you have to land. Anyone with a GPS could do the same, ONLY in a life and death situation like these guys were in, I believe it could have saved their lives if they had done this. Also note my airport did not have mountains or other conflicting geography/obsticles or highly populated area, just very flat rural farm land. Have you or anyone else ever done this, what are your thoughts on this? "LIFE AND DEATH EMERGENCY ONLY"?? OK, now "Let the FLAMING begin"
Never be low on fuel.
THATs another get-there-itis result.
BTDT.... ONCE....
in 50+ years.
@@hotrodray6802Absolutely, I agree, and I never have, but you know as well as I do, it happens, for what ever reason, it happens every day!
Thanks for the update to this story, Juan. I live north a bit from Salem so we got this on the news, but no details. Sad crash.
I just heard about this on the local news a couple of nights ago. The weather was really cold and foggy. Tragic.
Horrible departure from Afghanistan. Thank you JB
RIP to these Afghan Heros. Not all these people were evil. These were examples of what positive immigration and assimilation looked like. RIP to these Pilots.
I've driven by this place more than I can count. Sad to hear about this.
What this guy's channel proves, is that there are far too many people flying around the skies, with expectations far in excess of their abilities.
This one hits close to home - I flew out from the Seattle area to Astoria that same afternoon and on the way home about an hour before sunset was watching fog start to form in the valleys to my south. We were a bit drier further north and stayed clear. The day before I had planned to go flying and at my house at 500 ft it was clear blue skies, but in the valley airport where my plane is based it was 1/4 mile visibility and stayed that way all day.
I was waiting for you to do this accident. Its a unfortunate incident but I love to hear Juans analysis of these accidents and ways to prevent them.
I was over the area about an hour before the accident. It was very foggy to about 500'. Clear air where I was, but to the south, 100% blanket of fog as the sun was setting at 4:00.
May God comfort the families of these pilots. My sincerest condolences. Thank you Juan for this information.
Beyond tragic, they sacrificed everything for their families & their country. My heart goes out to their families & the community. RIP 🤍
I fly out of Grove about an hourish north, and this video has me thinking-it might not be a bad idea to get together a list of names of people who are willing, if time allows, to pick up pilots who have to divert due to weather. If you don’t know how you’d get back to your home field and don’t have someone at home with a second car, it can be more tempting to keep flying when you otherwise shouldn’t. If there’s a message group of names/numbers to send a message too…”Hey, had to divert to SPB due to fog rolling in/winds kicking up too high/etc, can someone please come get me?”…that might make diverting easier to do.
Good idea. For those who want to take advantage of the weather windows this time of year to get that flight in, you simply have to expect that there's a good chance that fog will form and already have a plan in place in that event, so you don't have to try and work it out later. Fog can form very fast and you simply have to accept it.
You're a good soul. Great idea. I would have. In my earlier comment, I almost killed myself as a young time pilot with get-home-itis in fog from Hillsboro and into this airport. Even the FSS was surprised I still flew after getting the Wx.
افغانستان میں تمام خاندانوں
سے تعزیت۔ مجھے امید ہے کہ
جو بائیڈن رو رہے ہوں گے
Nice report. Heartbreaking. I've met many Afghans and found nearly every one of them to be kind, earnest and warm people. Such a sad story. RIP.
Damn. I can't count the number of times I've flown into Independence. The valley fog seems to be heaviest in the south half of the valley, between Salem and Eugene, and I've often returned home with the clear and sunny weather from elsewhere to find solid fog sitting over that region.
Very sorry to hear this. As a commercial pilot and Oregonian, this hit close to home. These were good men, making their way in a difficult world and trying their best to find a better life and take care of their families. May they rest in peace, and may God be with them.
The danger these men face faced supporting American forces in anti terrorism efforts in Afghanistan can not be understated.
I live in Talbot, right across the river from Independence. That day we had a temperature inversion and stayed in heavy fog all day. It usually lifts around noon, but that day it never did.
RIP and condolences to their families.
Excellent analysis, RIP to the pilots.
"Get-there-itis" is eerily seducing. I wanted to return a C-172 I rented from Van Nuys CA. Departing Las Vegas, the downdraft over the mountains SW on the departure was so intense I was at best rate of climb and still VSI (VVI) showing -750 ft/min. At night, pitch black. We immediately turned around. The owner was grateful I made that decision. So when I hear of a tragedy like Saturday's, it makes me realize this can happen to any one of us. All it takes is one bad second.
So terribly sad for the loved ones still in Afghanistan......dealing not only with the Taliban, but now the loss of their family members. RIP
My Neighborhood, kinda. Landed at that airport several times with my dad, and yes I remember him checking and spotting those power line demarcation/indicators on his Flying maps(no electronics at that time). So sad for all involved. Scotts Miracle grow home fertilizer is blended and shipped from Independence. I have hauled bark dust into the plant and watched the private aircraft fly overhead. Thanks Juan.
What a heartbreaking ending for these Afghans! RIP
Question: Is there any sort of “hey I’m a pilot and I need a ride due to safety/weather/mechanical” sort of quick, easy to use, website or app? If not, let’s start one. Thanks Juan!
This is sad to hear. I spent 2010 and 2011 in Kabul as an Air Force lieutenant colonel working with the group that equipped and trained the Afghan Air Force.
thank you for your Service
Juan, thank you for giving out a balanced report. This is so sad on many levels.
Thank you Juan, for covering this tragedy with the sensitivity it deserves, while commenting on the technical aspects.
Condolences to their families may they R.I.P. Thanks Juan safe flying as always mate,🙏🙏👍🇦🇺
Every untimely death is a tragedy but this is a real Heartbreaker
Sadly the expense & technical aspects of modern amateur aviation have passed me by but I watch your videos and wonder, “could that have been me.”
So very sad to see this one Juan.
And you putting that clip in of the work they did in Afghanistan makes harder to come to grips with the loss of three very fine gentlemen😢
Thank you Juan for the professionalism and the humanity.
To me, these are always the most inexplicable and tragic of accidents. We can sit all day discussing the various aspects of the event, Get-Home-Itis, powerlines, accuracy of installed avionics, character of the PIC..
All of this is peripheral. It needs to be drummed into the heads of students from day one.. and then reiterated on a regular basis throughout their flying careers.. The rules are there, they've been adopted in response to death on far too many occasions. Nobody is saying that an aircraft cannot be flown to a successful landing in conditions below those that are deemed legal.. what we Are saying, is that it's been statistically proven time and time again that attempting an approach below those designated limits has resulted in death, way out of proportion to the approaches flown.
Every PIC has a responsibility to themselves, their friends and family, passengers and all on the ground, that every flight MUST result in a successful, safe landing. 99 out of 100 is just not acceptable... 999 out of 1000 is just not acceptable.
That's a shame. It makes me sick that we abandoned those people in Afghanistan. We threw away 20 years of hard work and betrayed people who put their lives on the line to help us.
Should’ve never been in Afghanistan in the first place
@@sethtenrec I don't agree with that.
@sethtenrec Absolutely.
@@NoYoSaySo it allowed W. Bush to say he was a “wartime president”. It was strictly a move to boost his popularity and get reelected. Lives lost were of no consequence.
@@ronaldschoolcraft8654
Salem was VFR at the time of the accident.
KSLE 170056Z 19003KT 5SM BR CLR 02/01 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP219
KSLE 162356Z 11004KT 10SM CLR 05/03 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP214
KSLE 162256Z 14004KT 10SM CLR 06/03 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP214 FG BANK 3 SE
That's revolting...
@@MrShobar 5 minutes away by airplane… 24 minutes by car. It’s the truth.
@@markstroble5597 McNary has a tower and ATIS on 122.55. They couldn't be bothered to find this out? The controlling FSS is McMinnville. So they couldn't call Flight Watch for current weather? It's really incomprehensible.
It’s amazing how many power lines are located all around airports. God rest their souls
Every valley in the northwest was foggy that morning. I did a Cat II to KGEG that morning. It was low. Seattle was doing Cat III autoland to get in. Very sad for these guys families.
Ref. The Bristol biplane and a fun fact..When the Bismark was torpedo attacks by Fairy "Swordfishes" ( A bristol mercury powered british bi plane with two crew) the AA crews on the Bismark were firing well ahead of the aircraft because they didnt realise how slow those aircraft were flying so against all odds none were shot down and one lucky torpedo damaged the Bismarks rudder to such an extent the ship could only steam in a circle.The rest is history.
I was a private pilot back in the 70 s, 100 miles north of Spokane mountain terrain and this weather will kill you. If possible turn around and save your life.
YES. Spokane Mountain? Weather, Weather, Weather....And? Weather.
I’m part of a helo crew who flies regularly in NorCal/southern Oregon and know how challenging the fog is in this western region.
We mitigate risks by knowing our alternate landing airports, talk about fuel statuses/bingos and IIMC procedures.
It’s unfortunate that these guys didn’t have ILS at the airport for the deteriorating conditions.
It might not have mattered. Juan noted that Salem was below IFR minimums, and the pilot was not IFR rated.
I’m a helicopter pilot and know that power lines are responsible for 33% of accidents, safe flying to you and your crew.
This is a heartbreaking. 3 men trying to improve their skills in order to support their families. My sincere condolences to the 3 families.
Juan you produced a superior video that showed us the tragedy of this crash. Thank you.
I hate to say it, but they were flying a visual approach in thick fog with no approved IAP, no instrument rating and no IFR clearance. What they were doing was illegal and they paid the ultimate price for their irresponsibility.
IFR and minimums are there for a reason. As an flight instructor, i would say most rated instrument pilots are not current and or capable. God bless....I have made my fair share of mistakes.
Agreed.
Someone just built 3:15 a new home due north of runway 35 at Ballinger Bruce Field Texas E30 and a new power line erected to supply it. I made sure to have the power company mark the wires with red balls for this very reason!! Thanks for all your work JB!
But if you are flying in conditions you cannot see the balls, what good are they?
In the last 2 weeks the weather here in the Pacific North West has been mostly IFR with SIGMETs for low visibility and icing. I have not even considered flying for the past few weeks.
So sorry to hear about these young guys who were really dedicated to both flying and peace.
Thanks Juan for getting the info and clearing the air on this. Sad to see.
Thanks for your report on this sad accident near my home. Planes returning to the Independence airport make a left turn near my house to line up on final approach when the wind is from the north. Have local pilots tried to get Oregon to install equipment at the airport to permit IFR operations? Hopefully news of this tragedy will lessen the likelihood of any other pilots making a landing attempt when conditions are below minimums. Pilots-please don’t take unnecessary risks to save time or do flying that you don’t have adequate training or experience for. I was glad my younger brother and I had his flight instructor with us on a VFR flight to advise us on a March flight many years ago to Napa from Salem when we encountered low clouds near Lake Shasta.
Juan, I am not sure ifyou heard about this one yet - a New Jersey news helicopter crashed in a heavily wooded area, two fatalities (the pilot and photographer).
It's posted all over the 'net; here is some info on the helicopter:
Chopper 6 was a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR, helicopter that was leased to the television station by U.S. Helicopters based in North Carolina.
Thank you, Juan. another good report out however devastating. Breaks my heart.
Those power lines were not marked with large yellow balls like at Aurora State. Impossible to see them. Tragic waste of 3 and an airplane too.
Thanks Juan!!❤
What a tragedy. All they wanted was peace. Peace. Cleared West brave pilots, no climb restrictions.
On another note, a frustrating of mine in these accidents is when there was an advanced display on the panel, like the Garmin. Why wasn't that used to help orientation with runway? We'll never know. This accident just shows what a life saver tech like Garmin Autoland and Synthetic Vision can be. However the best defence is to rent a car or call or a friend to come get you. These 3 will not be forgotten and their families can be proud of what they did in Afghanistan.
So very sad. Three young, brave men, trying to make headway in a new country. Really good to hear about the local support in Oregon.
If low visibility is common at Independence, perhaps a low-fuel emergency-only procedure could be set up, so that one man with a radio could stand on the runway (or at least in the adjacent fields) and, using the sound of the aircraft, provide some guidance as to where they are. If they could been located somewhere due S of the runway and in line with it, surely the results would not have been so tragic. Illegal is better than dead, especially considering nearby subdivision. Perhaps someone could practice this in good weather to see if it is feasible for emergencies.
Very sorry for the loss of these young men. The first airplane I flew in (in 1967) was a 172G SN 17254028 so probably manufactured within a couple months of 92L
Very sad for those families.
I went to visit the spot of the crash yesterday and it’s sad. So close to the runway. Really sad
Terribly sad story. Thank you for your service in support of American forces in Afghanistan. May you all Rest In Peace.