Instructor Pilot CHARGED with Manslaughter!
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- (Please Subscribe!) Philip McPherson was the instructor on a Sept. 28, 2022 crash of a Piper Cherokee that resulted in the death of his student. On top of all that, McPherson had lost his certification almost a year previously and wasn't supposed to be flying. The United States Attorney's Office has indicted him on 1 count of Manslaughter and 40 counts of flying without an airman certification.
Docket on the Piper Cherokee Crash September 28, 2022. data.ntsb.gov/...
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Dan - he wasn't an instructor. He lost his certifications... He portrayed himself as a pilot and an instructor. He was neither
EXACTLY! He misrepresented himself.
Exactly. There was no such thing as "his student."
I'm in shock at this moment! This was "my instructor" as well out of KLDJ during this period of time until he was caught in this accident
@@miguelgomez4009that’s insane! I hope you found a good instructor. Please it’s so important to do your research. Hold your instructor to the highest standards and don’t be afraid to speak up.
UA-cam is a great resource. Things like this should not be happening. Breaks my heart it had to come to an end horrid death of an innocent student.
You don't lose the knowledge by not having the certificate, plus he only got his commercial cert pulled, not his cfi (same same but different)
No doubt he's guilty of not having a valid certificate and in turn wasn't qualified as a instructor...So, guilty of the charge!!! The company that hired him without checking his qualifications is also guilty of not ensuring his qualifications!!!😮
I’m sure they’ll get sued in a civil suit by the family of the deceased. Crazy to be hiring someone without physically checking their certs and looking at the airman database.
@@brandonadams7837 i think the flight school shut down ops soon after it happened. Possibly to avoid the civil suit. We will see if the lawyers go after the owners directly.
@@sammalone6714 closing for business won’t stop a civil suit against the owners and the creditors.
Corporations don't get involved in civil law suits generally.
@@kristensorensen2219 ha. Corporations live in civil lawsuits as both parties non stop for a million different things.
Damn. It gets so real when you hear things like “father of two”. Rest in peace my man 😢
I went for older instructors for multiple reasons: They weren't doing it to build time -- they wanted to be there. They had developed an aviation-based philosophy, had experiential lessons to teach, and had humorous stories. AND finally - They were old, thus not bold...
Had an old instructor. He was a disaster and nearly got us both killed. I refused to fly with him and found a competent younger instructor.
I have to agree for the most part older professional pilots that have a love and passion for instruction are a blessing. Not to say that young people building time are less valuable I have known really sharp young and competent instructors that also love teaching but desire to become airline pilots.
But I'm biased toward older instructors because I'm 55 .Blue skies
My instructor was 80. He was great and still sharp as a tack! He often put me in situations to help me learn!
My first and worst instructor I had was an old man, the best I had so far is a young man. He’s passionate about teaching, not building time.
I insisted on an instructor "with gray hair." He's full-blown ATP, does charter flights, but also still teaches when he's available. The wisdom passed along the way was definitely not in the books, but very helpful.
There should also be fraud charges for misrepresenting himself as a qualified instructor.
Yes, as presented this warrants a long time in prison.
I’m sure the estate of the deceased will address that in a civil suit, independent of the criminal case.
@@brandonadams7837assuming he has any assets that can be claimed in a civil suit. They would be more likely to go after the flight schools insurance.
@@RainbowManification agreed, but when lawsuits get filed you file against anyone and everyone and then do the asset research and usually let their insurance companies fight it out. The flight school is definitely unbelievably negligent, possibly even to a criminal standard as well.
he wouldn't if they did a background check.....
He'll plead to 4 or so years for the manslaughter, 6 months for each of the 40 counts of flying without a license, all sentences to be served concurrently.
Total time: 4 years
Also, McPherson has already been assigned a public defender, which means the court has decided that he cannot afford a lawyer.
The flight school is defunct.
There's no one to sue.
Hopefully he had an insurance policy.
This story has only just begun! If anyone knows this guy that can confirm the photo is Philip, please let me know! The media is not sharing his photo for some reason.
The full details are absolutely shocking and infuriating! Thank you Dan for bringing this to our attention!
This video focuses only on the criminal charges. Perhaps you should also make a video related to the civil charges that will be brought against the employer that hired this unqualified instructor, causing the death of a client who relied on this company providing qualified services.
So many holes in this Swiss cheese that started well prior to the accident. Failed check rides, moving and getting a CFI job without certs (that company didn't even check that?!), being terrible at the job and continuing anyway, possible carb ice (or any issue) and not putting it down and aborting the takeoff, it just goes on and on.
Man, a legal/debrief combo would be a thing I’d watch. I just found this channel today but I’ve followed PD for a while. No BS, just facts and “why” things happen, explaining the effect of whatever mistake was made. Of course I subscribed.
Looking forward to a video on this unfortunate event. I have learned so much from your videos and will preach safety and speaking up to my students.
no photo could be because of race.. Maybe reverse discrimination happening. Strange.
He was demonstrably incompetent, lost his license, did not make a reasonable effort to set things straight and instructed without a license: MANSLAUGHTER....plain and simple
I am a retired airline pilot and was a police officer in Canada. US law is similar to Canadas. As others have stated he was not qualified to teach anyone. His skill set was under revue, he failed multiple rides. He alluded that he was an instructor and qualified. His actions were negligent and resulted in the death of a person under his care and control. A negligence, plus no certification, plus a death is a culpable homicide. In Canada it would be criminal negligence causing death, manslaughter in the USA. It is a sad thing that was avoidable. If any pilot finds that they are not qualified to fly, for any reason, they do not fly. It is not about stroking your ego, it is about safety and doing the right thing.
It’s been 15 years since I did a ppl check ride….im fairly certain the person responsible for my check ride also checked my instructors credentials before we even began. Even had his name attached to documents submitted to TC but maybe I’m wrong idk
And the company that hired him is equally negligent in failing to discovering any of these facts, prior to unleashing him on the public and unsuspecting clients.
Saying you are a police officer in Canada isn’t a brag anymore. Might want to keep that on the DL
I said I was a police officer. I stated the facts of my work experience. I was not bragging. Why would I want to keep things on the "down-low"? I am not ashamed of my choices in life, I'm not fearful of my life choices. I am proud to have done these jobs and my family is proud of me. Being a cop is thankless enough, my hat is tipped to all police officers, past and present. Your "brag" remarks are un-called for and rude!
@@johnolsen7073 With the horrible job that the Canadian police did for Trudeau against your fellow citizens I would hang my head in shame. Freedom is an illusion, it is a police state.
I personally knew two pilots in this category. The first, a class 1 instructor and flight school operator, repeatedly flew recklessly and is now dead along with his student. The second was hired at three different companies before being arrested for federal fraud. He didn’t actually have a pilot licence but his shoes were shinny and his hair was perfect.
Wow
holy smokes.
How in the EFF did he get hired by THREE different companies?!
@@consortiumxf Perfect hair, shiny shoes, excellent liar.
Absolutely, the instructor should be held accountable… so sad to see that the flight school didn’t check his creds before hiring him!
Two things make a great pilot: Skill & Judgement. This guy has neither.
Technically, the instruct had both. But it was Bad Skill and Bad Judgement!
who should have it?? The actual student pilot?
@@mariejane1567 CFI
It isn't a bad idea as students to run the instructors information for yourself. 1 it could save your life, but 2 if they are not qualified then much of your training comes into question. When asked I like to remind student pilots, you are the employer, just as with any other contractor, if the instructor isn't living up to your requirements fire them and hire someone new. One of the flaws with education in the US is the teachers have to pull students through the system, and student get accustomed to the "weaker power position" this may be a necessary evil but it conditions you to think as a student not to question the teacher. I left a very prestigious college and went to a less known one because when I found myself struggling- I sat down and studied the issue, and I came to the conclusion I spend 1/2 the time in class trying to understand a professor that can't speak clearly, and the rest of the time with a TA that can't teach and is there only to finish a PHD or work for a research grant. I wanted professors that wanted to teach, not ones that taught because it was the only way to continue research.
Best advice is find the old grey hair instructor, the one that is either retired and does it for the love of flying, or made instructing a career, not the kid playing on his phone until he "flys" enough hours to get a a right seat gig. But if you must fly with the time builder, demand they put the phone away, focus entirely on you, you are not paying them $100+/hr to do anything other than teaching, if they are they are stealing from you.
Good instructors should start teaching students how to look up their credentials, and tell them, as they progress for new ratings to always do this.
The fact that he lied and said that he yelled for them to pull his student out is something else This guy deserves to go to prison
I have commented elsewhere that the ‘criminalization of error’ is counterproductive to safety, but this was not error. This was a selfish, arrogant, and flagrant disregard for both the applicable laws and regulations and basic principles of aviation safety. He should be convicted, do time, and be sued into penury for his actions. There is NO justification for what he did. If you are not very good, get more training or find another profession.
I agree. Punishing people for legitimate mistakes can have serious negative side effects, but while the accident itself may have had some small elements that were mistakes, it mostly resulted from deliberate mal-actions.
@@moi01887 I want to jump to agreement with you, however I don't know if your statement is true. It might be. Pilots who are properly certified have had nearly the exact same accidents. I say nearly because even if the cause is exactly the same, the circumstances might be different. Your statement seems very logical, that is why I want to jump to agreement. I have learned in life, sometimes, admit it, often times we think we know the complete picture while all we have, at best, is an outline and jump to wrong conclusions. I wonder if there is a final NTSB report and did the investigators know the man in question did not possess a proper pilot certificate? Depending I what they knew at the time of the investigation, it might cloud their judgement about probable cause, which is not 100% certain, given the word probable. This case really makes one like myself think.
He won’t see a day in jail.
He should be held accountable for all charges and the company that hired him should be fined/and or shut down for hiring him without any checks. It is scary how many flights he made with others that had no idea that he was incompetent. So sad for the poor student pilot killed.
Absolutely! He wasn't a CFI. He was someone impersonating a CFI!!! And that lead to someone's death. That is manslaughter.
He was, just not at the time of the accident
McPherson 1) Knew that he wasn't certified to act as a flight instructor, or even a private pilot for that matter. 2) Agreed with the assessment that he was incompetent and surrendered his certificates (which it sounds like he should have never been given to begin with.). 3) Despite 1 and 2 deliberately passed himself off as a CFI which was unethical, illegal and as the accident so sadly pointed out, lethal. Should he be held fully accountable? Book 'em Danno!
PS One or more persons at that flight school needs to be investigated as well!
It is very hard to argue against your very logical position. My brain sometimes wonders into what ifs sometimes, for reasons I cannot explain. I don't know if it is too early, or I missed something, to determine if the airplane had mechanical failure and if so, that has nothing to do with certifications. In other words, pilots with proper certs have had the same accident results, when experiencing mechanical failure, including some famous pilots. I am not trying to win an argument at all. My brain just pulled up this one problem with conviction. Flying without a certificate, sure, but causing the death might be mechanical failure. If I were a defense attorney, I would demonstrate certificated, current pilots have crashed under the same conditions and in cases with no mechanical failure. I am not defending this ex-pilot's actions. If any mechanical failure took place, I think there is a defense for the manslaughter charge. Now if the airplane was not properly maintained, which might be difficult to know if the maintenance log was in the plane. Is there evidence to support that the plane was properly maintained by the flight school? I would need to see the NTSB report. I don't know if there is a final report?. Carburetor ice can only be speculated I suspect. Interesting case and very tragic
@@thomastucker5686 I sincerely understand what you're saying. In the meantime, for me, we have someone in the right seat of that plane, that has no more qualifications than a passenger, passing himself off as a CFI. To me, that is extremely problematic. Unless something comes to light regarding a mechanical issue, I believe that a qualified CFI could've prevented that tragedy. In all honesty, however, I'll be very surprised if he's convicted of manslaughter...sad to say.
@@paulw4310 Unless I misunderstood the situation, which is totally possible, I am not brilliant, he was a properly certified flight instructor for a period. This means, he knows how to fly airplanes and had no expectation of anything other than a safe flight. The certificate problem isn't directly related to the crash. He had logged 40 training hours in the days leading up to the crash. He was taking off and landing regularly, without incident. I am not overlooking the ridiculousness of this man's actions. I am just trying to be open minded, as if I had to sit on a jury. A juror cannot just hear about the case briefly and jump to a conviction. I once drove a rig that requires a CDL license, which I do not have one. I needed the work, was raising a family and I couldn't find work. I drove very safely and returned the rig without incident. It could have gone a different way. If I had an accident, and someone perished, would I be charged for manslaughter because I didn't have the proper license? Maybe, I don't know. I knew at the time I was not legal to drive the rig. I didn't lie about it to the employer. The employer said, this is what I have for work, take it or leave it.
@@thomastucker5686 I can sympathize with your predicament, I truly can, but if you had been in an accident you technically could've been charged with manslaughter. Whether or not you would be convicted is another story. The prowess of the attorneys and the make up of the jury can always cause a case to go one way or the other.
I'm not sure I agree with your statement that "the certificate problem isn't directly related to the crash.". He was deemed incompetent and failed to take a 709 ride to demonstrate competency and regain his certificates. The student that was killed had the expectation that he had a CFI in the right seat. He didn't, per certification requirements, and that's huge. From the info the video presents, I believe that a competent CFI could've prevented that accident barring any, as of the time of this video, unearthed mechanical issues.
[Involuntary manslaughter, which occurs “[i]n the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony, or in the commission in an unlawful manner, or without due caution and circumspection, of a lawful act which might produce death.”] IMHO the actions of the accused, which resulted in a death, fit that criteria. Again, JMO.
@@thomastucker5686 UPDATE- I reread the report. Carb icing was a potential issue in this accident. The defendant did take a 709 competency ride after his two previous accidents while acting a s CFI and failed it. He never requested another ride to be retested. He had failed multiple check rides in the past.
Per the indictment: “Defendant MCPHERSON acted without malice but with gross negligence in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death, that is, flying an aircraft, in an unlawful manner or without due caution and circumspection, resulting in the aircraft crashing shortly after takeoff and the death of K.K,” the indictment states. “But for MCPHERSON's intentional and grossly negligent disregard for the safety of K.K., knowing he was not competent to safely fly the aircraft as the pilot in command since he had never mastered the skills necessary to safely operate the aircraft, K.K. would not have died."
I have to say that I fully agree with that statement, because he was not merely a passenger but was knowingly passing himself off as a CFI, thus the PIC of that aircraft, when in reality, he was less qualified, as far as certification goes, than the student that perished. It appears as if he didn't even have a current medical certificate.
It also appears that the flight school that he was "working" for is closed.
How the hell did this guy get a job!!!?? Lots of people should be in trouble over this ! So many incompetent instructors out there. Anyone associated with Jenny Blaylock being trained and signed off should be stripped of all flying privileges. This is unacceptable! Then the FAA has the audacity to let Trevor Jacobs off with barely a slap on the wrist! The FAA has demonstrated that they could care less about safety or justice!
Extremely dangerous and incompetent instructor. If you see something dangerous, don't wait...say something!
The student usually wouldn't be knowledgeable enough to question the instructor's bad habits...
@@fhuber7507 of course, I am saying other instructors and pilots who do.
he wasn't an instructor. he did not hold a CFI certificate.
The ustabe flight instructor is not the only party that should be held accountable here. How can he be employed by another school and make 40 flights without them even bothering to check his credentials BEFORE he was hired. I worked for Unigroup and every time a driver applied for a position as a van operator a background check was conducted. The flight school that hired McPherson should have their certification put under probation or even suspended. Who knows how many other instructors they may have on their payroll with questionable or lack of proper credentials. Rest in Peace Keith Kozel and condolences to his family.
Who carried the insurance? The student? The instructor? The school? Who didn’t check qualifications? Who paid out because they didn’t check qualifications? Money grabbing from all sides. My sympathies are with the Kozel family.
@@jmfs8738 You bring up a great point that is going to probably be the one that may put the flight school out of business. Just like if you are driving your car with passengers and you get into a fatal accident but you are not properly licensed, most insurers will deny your claim. I'm sure aviation insurance is no different when it comes to uninsured Pilots. The aircraft may be insured but the insurer can refuse to honor a claim when the aircraft had an unlicensed pilot. In addition to that, the family of Mr. Kozel will have legal grounds to file a wrongful death suit against both Mr. McPherson and the flight school. The flight school is culpable simply by hiring a person who has the lives of others in his hands without properly checking his qualifications. Depending on how large the school is there have been some small schools that couldn't handle out-of-pocket judgments that their insurer wouldn't cover. I'm sure the Kozel family would rather have their loved one back rather than money.
As mentioned in the video, the flight school is out of business!
When I started to work on my pilot certificate over 15 years ago, I encountered two flight instructors who I refused to fly with again. One ignored tower instructions and replied, “Unfamiliar with airport.” When he was called out by the tower, even though he was instructing out of that airport. The second was one who kept insisting he was right about aircraft flight theory, even though it conflicted with the test, the training material, and basic aeronautics. A third instructor I never flew with again was in such a rush to meet up with some friends after my lesson that he left the cockpit and never signed my log. Yes, there are many great flight instructors out there, but there are also lazy, incompetent, and arrogant flight instructors who are only there to gather hours for their ATP.
Being a good pilot, and being a good instructor are two entirely different skills.
So right you are. One can be great at their profession but lack the many skills needed to teach that profession.
Looks like he was bad at both.
🎯
It's so tiresome how the media acts like they don't understand what 'concurrent' means.
Also, the 40 counts of flying without a license will run concurrently with the manslaughter count, meaning a max of 8 years, not 11. I call it the Bulk Discount.
His photo has been scrubbed from the internet. I wonder why??
I just saw it on UA-cam. How is it “scrubbed”?
@@executivesteps Google search for it see if you can find it other than this video.
@@executivesteps where on UA-cam ?
Scrubbed by whom? Where's your proof?
Yes. Philip McPherson should be held accoutable. But so should the operators of the flight school. They failed in their duty to make sure that McPherson was qualified to fly and instruct. Seems to me that they could - and likely should - be criminally charged as well.
Absolutely hold his accountable. He has lowered the standard that keeps pilots and passengers safe. This cannot be allowed to happen again.
I have been flying since 1986 and have now hung-up the keys because of a few health issues. In that 37 years of GA and Army flying, I have never scratched an airplane or helicopter, I have never failed a checkride or a written, and I have never been involved in any kind of enforcement action. I have never had a traffic ticket, or an at -fault accident. It might be said, I behave and follow rules. I was a Georgia Trooper for a handful of years and have been the investigating officer in over 1,000 traffic accidents, nine were fatalities.
It is very sad the gentleman died under such nefarious circumstances. I hope and pray his children will be taken care of and his family will feel peace through this challenging time.
I listen when Hoover speaks! I was at Seymour Johnson AFB in the 80's (before swapping to the Army), when the flightline was filled with F-4E's, and for that reason, I feel a kinship with Hoover. I also hold Dan Millican in high regard for his plain language assessments. You two guys do a lot to help make aviation safer and more enjoyable.
It could be argued that he was under charged. He committed felony fraud when he lied to get his instructor position, and started instructing students. A person died as a direct result of his felonious actions. Why wasn't he charged with 2nd degree murder?
Murder requires intent. This guy was criminally reckless and his action resulted in death. That's textbook manslaughter. There is no showing of intent to kill which a murder charge requires. IANAL.
The instructor should get 11 years in jail and never be allowed to fly again!
Not allowing him to fly apparently doesn't work. He wasn't allowed to fly at the time of the accident.
It’s very doubtful the FAA would ever grant him a license to fly again.
Have been a pilot for more than 20 years and a flight instructor for more 15 years with more than 5000 hours of instruction given. Fortunately, I have never had a student under my care and tutelage ever injure or kill him or herself. This is an egregious case, and this individual was in my opinion properly charged and if found guilty should get serious prison time. Unfortunately, I see a lot of bad/inadequate flight instruction out there. I've always viewed my job to not only prepare someone for a check ride, but to teach them what can get them in trouble and what to do to stay out of it. It helps to be cautious and play by the rules.
Do you ever call out or report bad/inadequate flight instructors?
@@stevet8121 I certainly do, to my detriment, then you are mean and an asshole. I try to lead by example. If I see something egregiously bad, down right dangerous, I’ll report it.
@@stevet8121 I do often to my detriment.
If you are doing your job correctly, you should be able to take a nap while riding with a former student pilot now private pilot or instrument rated pilot under your care. If you don't have the confidence in the student, they would not be ready for passengers.
@@thomastucker5686 agreed
Lock him up. I was a a CFI, airline pilot, and airline instructor pilot for 40 years. I've seen and flown with many outstanding aviators, but I've experienced some really bad ones too. The poor training and examination process is letting too many incompetent so called pilots become certificated.
Why even ask if he should be charged? Of course he should. He obviously was incompetent to fly. He was unable to satisfactorily demonstrate having the required skill to fly to the FAA. He repeatedly and knowingly passed himself off as a licensed pilot & instructor, including causing the death of someone. Really, Dan? What more does he have to do?
Yes he should be held responsible because he knew he shouldn’t have been in that plane with a student by law and didn’t care. SHAME SHAME!!!! on him. So sad
DEI…look into it
And the increased number of runway incursions …
@@alangarrett1181like that knucklehead ground controller who nearly caused a Tenerife style catastrophe at Reagan International last month
DEI….. when will people EVER learn?🤷🏻?
Absolutely the instructor should be held responsible. His qualifications had been suspended, he had no right to be acting as an instructor, his skills were below par. His student died as a direct result of this so called instructor’s incompetence. Utterly disgraceful.
Guilty! He needs time in a locked, private room for many years.
My guess is it won't be a private room.
Isn't it a bid problematic to show a photo of a person without mentioning if it is the victim (student pilot) or the culprit (instructor)?
Instructor. Found the photo after releasing the video. Will try and clarify the thumb.
@TakingOff thanks
Hi Dan- great video! I am going to use this in the A&P class I teach not as a scare tactic, but as an eye-opener for ‘if you see something wrong, say something’. Thanks!!
Glad it was helpful!
This guy was in no position to be in command of any aeroplane, and even more so as an instructor. I can’t imagine anyone being so incredibly incompetent.
Got my certificate 30 years ago. At the time I didn't realize how bad my instructor was. Afterall, I had nothing to compare him to. It was only after I got my certificate and received training from other instructors, (BFRs, type checkouts an aerobatics course, etc.) that I realized how bad my initial instructor was. Over the last 30 years I've taken every opportunity to fly with different instructors and have been fortunate to receive some really good instruction. My father-in-law R.I.P. also conducted pilot proficiency tests during his 30 year Air Force career. He'd beat me up for free!! The point is, when you're just starting out, it's very difficult to know if you're being trained correctly. If I could do it all over again, I think I'd try a few different instructors to see how I felt with each one, then choose my training partner. Lastly, do some background checks before you ever get in a plane with him.
Really makes me rethink my attitude that other pilots must care as much about their lives as I care about mine when I get in a plane with them.
He knew he was not licensed. He was told, and knew he was not qualified. He did it anyway, and took someones life, in the worst possible way. He got out and watched them perish in a fire! IMHO, 128 years+ --gary
He is absolutely responsible. He knowingly operated illegally and should be held accountable. It’s important to the professional, lawful instructors. I am a 50-year CFII, single and multi airplane.
It's tragic that everyone failed this student pilot. As pilot debrief said, the FAA should've notified the school that this guy shouldn't be teaching. They didn't follow up on this guy. Nobody said a thing. Except for someone calling the hotline.
I'm going to get in trouble for saying this, but maybe people were afraid of being called racist if they criticized this guy.
*_"I'm going to get in trouble for saying this, but maybe people were afraid of being called racist if they criticized this guy."_*
Not in trouble, but challenged.
With the racial history of this country, what makes you think anyone is worried or *afraid* of being called racist for criticizing a black man? That theory doesn't hold water, based on the actual practice and history of the country! It hold about as much water as that other ridiculous theory that some folks keep making, that the "media" or FAA _"scrubbed"_ this guy's photos from the internet, in order to cover/protect him because he's black.
That's actually laughable. Since when has the media or US government ever covered up the crimes of a black person? In fact, it's been quite the opposite. White criminals have been covered and protected, which is why Trump is back in office, after inciting a riot on the US Capitol, which took the life of a police officer! Do you think Obama would be given another chance to sit in the White House after something like that? Hell no, his ass would be in prison.
Makes me wonder what alternate universe these folks live in, if they truly believe the ridiculous nonsense they talk ???
This McPherson dude was nothing more or different than any other case of someone slipping through the cracks. These things happen all the time........just this particular time, it happened to be a black CFI. It's rare to see a black pilot in the news, since there are so few of us. More so, one in the news for a crime.......but let's not make it any more than what it is. That does a disservice to the victim (RIP) and his family when you all make everything about race...ONLY when the race of the culprit is DIFFERENT than your own!!!
Likely fell through the cracks due to the big push for D E I pilots, while this guy probably talked a good game in which the flight school thought they hit the jackpot. Practically verbatim to the Atlas Air FL 3591 copilot.
Bingo.
Lol.
Yeah but what about CFI "junior" who got himself and his 18yr old student killed, due to his arrogance, recklessness and blatant disregard for safety? Or what about the countless other reckless white pilots on these videos? Likely fell through the cracks, due to white privilege.
Funny how you jokers only see DEI, race and religion when the culprit is non-white.
Bunch of hypocrites!
I'm going to call out you jokers on your hypocrisy until they put me in my grave 😂🙏🏾✌🏾
In the 90s, a failure of one checkride assured you would just about NEVER get a flying job.
The school should be held accountable also for not vetting and then hiring a dolt like that.
My flight training was marked by a bored instructor who was always intent on making a PA-28 do aerobatics. He later ripped the wings off a T-34, killing himself and his student.
Guilty and he should never be allowed to fly again. I am curious what is to stop him from flying again (with or without certification)
Whatever he gets charged, his employer should get charged too. Where were the flight school training & checking safety nets stopping him from taking students?
Guilty he needs to pay for his crimes!
Thank you for making this video. I worked with the victim a decade back, and the crash happened near my home. A good Samaritan was able to pull the "CFI" from the firey wreck, but the flames were too high to pull out Keith. He left two kids behind. Keith was defrauded by this person, and this flight school, and it cost him his life. I don't understand how the flight school isn't complicit in this.
Also thanks for explaining the carb ice issue.
Thank you for the News update, Dan. I am glad he will be doing time for what he did. I know it doesn't compare to the loss the family of the student has endured. I'm really surprised the flight school allowed him to act as an instructor, without being able to prove he was certificated. That raises a lot of questions all in it's own. Keep up the excellent work. Safe skies my friend 🇺🇸🛩️
The instructor knew he was breaking the law and did it anyway risking both of their lives as well as anyone on the ground.
Absolutely should be held accountable. Flying incompetent is something I can't understand. I would never take risks in such a safety prone environment.
I count myself very lucky to have had three excellent & patient instructors.
This accident happened close to where I live and I remember the news story about this accident. This is not victim blaming, but people who are looking to become a pilot should do their due diligence before having someone sit in the right seat for your training. You should also find a new instructor of you feel uncomfortable with the instructor.
As a pilot with an ATP, it’s my opinion that he should get the maximum sentence. He willingly broke the law which contributed to the accident. He should held accountable.
I was lucky to have a number of awesome instructors. I still do recurring training well beyond requirements because it's fun to keep learning.
I believe the company is more guilty here. They are the gatekeeper between the student and bad operators. This extends to maintenance, instructor competency and certification. There is an enormous duty of care. The student is trusting that all is in order and safe. Bad operators let us all down and should be dealt with accordingly.
The owner of a 140 should know his speeds by heart. Especially if he's speaking on a safety video.
Could have the manual in front of him and recite from the book, with video of the text and the numbers - professionalism right? I too learned in PA28s and then instructed in them and many others and never was it taught to “pushover”, which would lead to an immediate touch down. Release a little backpressure, yes, pushover no, we are not breaking a stall. How many degrees of attitude change?
Thanks for the info. I flew over this accident in a news helicopter. We always get very few details about the stories we are flying over, sometimes it's better that way. Fly safe.
He should be held accountable for his deliberate actions
It’s not easy to be a good instructor, it’s easy to obtain a license to instruct.
In this case the flight school should not hire these idiots.
A background check is a must.
Yes he should be held accountable.
Every flight instructor is held to the highest standard. Any accident or incident is the responsibility of the flight instructor not necessarily the student
Needs jail time. Federal prison time is the worst
Federal prisons are called “county club” prisons.
@@drjimjam1112gunsaway you been to fed prison?
@@drjimjam1112depends on what level of security the prison is.
Scary to think that there’s others out there flying like this.
Yes he needs to be held accountable!!!
Ground effect is a decrease in induced drag caused by a reduction of angle of attack due to changes in airflow when an airplane is within approximately one wingspan of the surface. The decreased drag gives you that feeling of sailing down the runway.
How was his employer not aware of any of this? Pretty shocking level of negligence on their part too.
The school should be sued for hiring him. This is completely unacceptable.
~How About The Flight School That Hired Him...
I Know They Closed Doors But Shouldn't They Also Be Held Responsible...
I asked the United States attorneys office this very question, and got a no response
I doubt there’s any criminal liability here - but of course I don’t know all the facts.
Of course the flight school could and probably would be held civilly liable. Seems they already determined this and thereafter closed the doors.
Still, depending upon all the facts, the corporate veil of the flight school might be pierced, leaving the owners of the flight school on the hook for monetary damages. I hope this occurs; like you I think the facts will show responsibly and culpability on the part of the individual owners of the flight school.
Maybe a lawyer who practices aviation law will give us a more informed opinion than I am able to offer. This is outside my areas of expertise.
@@CAROLUSPRIMA I Wouldn't Be Surprised If It Was Also Discovered
A Pattern Of Not Being Thorough
When It Came To Hiring Their Instructors.
@@TakingOff ~ I Hope For At Least A Investigation To Their Hiring Process Protocol.
@@69Cheryl I agree.
Ground effect is not a “cushion of air”. Instructors, stop telling people this.
This guy had no business operating as a flight instructor. And the company who hired him exposed themselves to a huge liability!!
I actually had this happen to me… luckily I was a pilot.
I went into a flight school, and an office manager without an instructor certificate represented herself as a flight instructor.
Curious if his incompetence and malfeasance was overlooked in the interests of DEI.
I can imagine how disappointing it must be to fail check rides and lose your credentials along with your dream of being a pilot. But if you can't demonstrate competency, you have no business putting other peoples' lives in danger. It's a sad situation, and this guy earned his punishment. Hopefully, that can help prevent similar circumstances - at least thorough background checks by flight schools before hiring instructors.
The instructor on my first ever flying lesson told me I had to control the aircraft "like it was a woman and never let it do anything you don't want it to do". My instructor was a weedy 22-year-old with oversized Ray-bans and would show off by speaking ridiculously fast on the radio, so much so that the tower had to ask him to slow down. He was later let go by the flying school for having attitude problems.
Jesus, I didn’t realize that getting all these qualifications was so easy!
It’s not hard to it just takes a lot of time and money. About the equivalent of a year’s full time job in both time and money for most people.
Guilty. No question or argument.
Yes he should be held responsible
Sounds like a clear disregard of the rules. Both administrative and practical. He should be held accountable.
Sounds like his employer should be held accountable
There is so much wrong here. He couldn't pass a checkride himself, much less teach students. Moved and got a job as a CFI (without qualifications to do so). How did the flight school not ask the most basic question of, "Can we see your license?". That would have prevented him from working there. Of course, he could always do it himself not tied to a flight school. Without the student(s) researching him they would never know. Closed or not, that flight school/owners are liable in this as well. They apparently had issues on takeoff and still had room to abort but didn't. The list just goes on and on.
Research your flight schools and specifically your instructor(s). They should easily be able to produce their licenses. Talk to other pilots who used them. What was there experience like with them? Would they use them again? Some people do more research on which dishwasher to buy than what flight school/instructor to use. It's crazy. Not only are your skills and abilities affected by your instructor and how good they are/how well you work together, but your life may very well depend on it.
I believe the flight instructor should be held responsible, even though he didn’t have his Flight instructor certificate. Acting in that role, he should have known his own limits. If he wasn’t competent to correct the student pilot’s actions, especially when it led to a student’s death, he shouldn’t have occupied the right seat. Being a flight instructor is more than just building hours for an airline career; it’s about teaching the next generation of pilots to operate safely. While the student pilot also bears responsibility, the flight instructor, despite lacking certification, was still in a position of authority and should be held accountable under the law
Some people, no matter how much they might want something, should know when to just give up and pursue other ventures . Sounds like this guy was one of those people. If he would have known his limitations, the student pilot might still be alive today.
Proof that some people simply should not fly!!
It seems impossible to find a photo of Mcphearson. I wonder why
As a cfi, this is embarrassing. Lock him up and throw away the key. Also, the owner of the flight school should be held responsible (I am assuming the civil suit will start with them). How do you hire a CFI without verification of their certificate?
No one is watching the store, that poor student had no idea about his CFI. There is way too much of this going on. I would never take lessons in a plane that has no door on the left seat side. RIP student, you didn't need to die.
No Pipers for you, and many other makes. Do you ever plan on moving up? The door may be down the aisle and only one of them, except the emergency exit.
Guilty as charged! He deserves a maximum sentence!
This is yet another example of sociopathic or psychopathic disregard of safety. Will continue to be a problem until psychology is taken seriously. And society demands real screening, etc. may be 200 or 2,000 years or more before things actually change. Just my opinion.
I did almost all my training in a Pa-28 and a pa-30. It is hard to believe how this could happen.
YES! He should be charged. We cannot have rogue instructors passing themselves as a CFI without consequences.
Stated: “Lack of demonstrated competence”
Meant: “Demonstrated lack of competence”
I copied from the indictment.
@@TakingOff
I don’t doubt it.
Just pointing out what is probably the case. As written, it is in reality the logically correct conclusion, as the fact that the examiner saw no evidence of competence is the only thing to which he can positively attest.
My interpretation is claiming that a negative was proved, something not logically following, and indeed not possible. The pilot could be sandbagging for whatever reason, fully competent, and the examiner saw no proof of that, but also would see no absolute proof of the absence of competence.
One would expect the pilot to be trying to show his abilities in this instance, so that militates against thinking he is actually faking inability.
A negative cannot be proven.
…but one frequently is just pretty sure, given the preponderance of evidence.
Hello from Sweden. I like following your program. a lot to learn. I am a flight instructor in Sweden and unfortunately we imitate the USA in many respects. just this that after you have taken the CPL, you can take an FI rating. All a flight schools rejoice because then they don't have to pay a proper salary. my opinion is that if you are a flight instructor and act like one, you have the total responsibility to deliver the student back to the airfield. accidents can always happen but as an instructor I sit there to sort out situations so no one gets hurt. I even have a lot of experience from the best rudder and sticket man. AR Bob Hoover. a Swedish old flight instructor told me to listen and learn from old pilots because they have made all the mistakes and survived. I have been flying since 1981 and my FI in 1997. 2 of my Swedish flight instructors in Gliding are Kurt Svensson and Elving Persson Kungsör training. There were some thoughts from me.
Thanks for sharing
Excellent video. When I was an Aircraft Engineer in the Royal Air Force, I had to do the uncomfortable. I had to bypass my rank structure because no-one was seeing a danger that I could. I filled out a Confidential Report. This resulted in parts being numbered before they were removed and once reassembled these numbers were checked. The parts could be assembled inverted and a brake pipe was then rubbed by the Gear door. Do the hard thing, it might just save someone's life.
No amount of money can bring a life back and no amount of time will ease the pain of losing a loved one. Just knowing that he will be put away for a while might save someone else's life in the future.
The fact he claims not guilty shows he feels no responsibility, and/or lack of remorse, so in my opinion he should get maximum sentence.
The company should be just as liable.
Reminds me of the pilot who crashed Atlas Air Flight 3591. Why are these reckless incompetents being passed?
Yep, another knuckle head who flunked all his check rides(even pressing random buttons to look busy) but fell through the cracks once he pulled the go to “ist” card on the examiner. I wouldn’t be the least surprised that it happened here also, and everyone was too afraid to do or say anything cause of his skin colour?