Accident Case Study: Trapped in Ice
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- On the morning of April 19, 2018, a Cirrus SR22 carrying two occupants departs from Lancaster Airport in Pennsylvania. The pilot and his passenger are bound for a conference in Indiana. What lies between the travelers and their destination, however, is a large swath of hazardous icing conditions, IMC, and mountain obscuration.
Join the AOPA Air Safety Institute as we follow the Cirrus along its route in this accident recreation, which includes a look at a similar tragedy involving a Beechcraft Bonanza that occurred only three days prior to the Cirrus accident.
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Watch more videos by the AOPA Air Safety Institute on our channel: / airsafetyinstitute
I’ve been a Captain at a major airline for 30 years. I think these videos should be mandatory for all pilots. Young and old. Amazingly done.
You’re absolutely right. Upon looking into the reports, the first pilot was 67 and the second, 65. Just shows all us pilots are susceptible to these dangers.
Dear Captain Dale: I have always been obsessed with one specific aviation-related question:
Is there really a Mile High Club??..........
@@cadaverdog1424 Not anymore. There used to be. The lavatories now are too small and gross. Plus with all of the #Metoo stuff, it isn’t worth getting fired.
Those good ole days are long gone my friend.
@@josephdale69 New generations are ruining the good old past. Wish I was born back then and be close to passing away now; leave this generation. But I was born in 1981 instead. My generation sucks; getting even worse. I can't wait until I am finally gone out of this wicked world.
@@marciturner4980 What good old past are you talking about, I know you want to come across as some sort of FRAT BOY, but that mindset would have you in all sort of Disciplinary problems before you had anything to write home about. I think you a need to address some of those dark emotions that you have before you get anywhere near to an Airline. Shame on CAPTAIN JOSHEPH for calling that the good old days
The second one broke my heart because he did so many things right that people in other case studies failed, like deciding against continuing and asking for clear assistance from the tower, yet his reluctance to admit trouble got him in the end.
It only takes ONE mistake...matters zero how much you do right.
@@speedomars let’s give the pilot some respect. He very quickly realized he was in a bad situation and chose correctly to get the plane down immediately. It’s not like he was farting around up there. He even asked for ATC’s help in vectoring. He did not have an ego problem. Somehow he just didn’t rely on his instruments in the end. We weren’t in the plane. We don’t know what happened.
@@VictoryAviation Who isn't giving him respect? The sad truth about aviation is no matter how much you do right, it only takes a single wrong to kill you. Some claim a chain of events are needed...but it is the final event that does you in...everything leading up to that could just as well led to a landing and safety.
Very sobering that only one critical mistake is enough to kill you. IMO it's time for better automation in small planes for IMC safety.
@@tubewacha Cirrus has far more sophisticated avionics and automation than any commercial aircraft. And they are far safer.
15:07 "hope is not a strategy for flying safely"
Yep.
Not really a strategy for anything.
Amen
@@davidj4662 except winning the lottery
neither is denial or ignorance
The narrator on this video is excellent. Perfect intonation. Just enough emotion. Never gets in the way of the story. He also has a distinctive and mature voice that is a welcome relief from Big Voices and Kid Voices. Bravo.
Reminds me of the late, great Peter Thomas who used to narrate crime programs on US TV.
@@mortalclown3812 I like him too. He makes things seem a little more serious
I fly Cirrus every day as an instructor- that shot of the CAPS pin still in the handle in the wreckage was chilling to see.
In your opinion, could it have saved them?
@@Bikes_N_Adventure I would say it is on the likely side of possible if it was deployed within limitations
@Влад Платон Complex question. Cirrus aircraft are theoretically safer in that there is a ballistic parachute that can be a tool of last resort. This tool can be rendered useless through inadequate training regarding the CAPS system, or the onset of a complacent attitude regarding operation in hazardous situations because "you can always pull CAPS" if things get out of control. It is only as safe as far as the pilot in question possesses quality training and sound judgment. That also goes for general aviation safety at large in my opinion.
@Влад Платон That is not a yes or no question. It depends on the knowledge and ability of each individual pilot. It also depends on your definition of safe. Something as mundane as taking a shower could be defined as unsafe depending on your definition and the circumstances at hand.
They stated "this model didn't have de-icing equipment"
Shouldn't all planes capable, be equipped to de-ice...
Or do you just live with the potential to ice up and go down?
I understand when you buy a car with no rear defog but I don't understand this.
That ATC controller was incredibly professional, and it's bad he had to go through that.
One of the most professional controllers I’ve ever heard in this kind of situation honestly.
Absolutely. He was dealing with a stubborn pilot heading doggedly into danger, and he didn't get angry or impatient, he just kept on doing his job.
Seriously, controller was the consummate professional throughout the flight.
@@moviemad56 He was so focused on keeping the thing under control he forgot what heading he was on I suspect he was no very current in IMC. With the icing he eventually lost control and went into SD.
Easy to imagine ATC getting PTSD as a result of these crashes - especially when they worked that hard to help avoid tragedy.
RIP to those who perished.
Godspeed to those in the air.
You guys make the 'best' videos. Sobering content, but very educational, high quality. Thank you.
They really do.
Amazing quality and so gripping and scary.
How did you make your comment 6 days ago when the video publish date is today?
time traveler confirmed
Great narrator. Calming and interesting voice.
Who is the narrator?
Top of the class educational documentaries and incident reports. There simply is no one else that does it better.
I have 3 or 4 favorite aviation channels. When I am looking to study accidents in the most meaningful way possible, I turn to THIS ONE! Blancolirio is my next fave---both are exceedingly valuable imo.
The narrator is very talented, but I identify his voice with the sad helplessness that accompanies these stories.
The air traffic controller has a great voice too.
These videos are so well done, very professional. The voice recordings are incredibly sad, given we already know the outcomes. What these situations illustrate is how a situation can go from Ok, to 'concerning', to flat out emergency in a matter of minutes/seconds. I kept rooting for that Cirrus pilot to admit he was struggling and needed to declare an emergency and wanted to get on the ground, RIGHT NOW, to the ATC. We pilots don't like to admit when the conditions have us spooked and we may be over our heads.
Agreed. There's a serious emotional impact to watching these videos. We're always rooting for the pilots to achieve a good outcome, up to the last moments. I think that makes them a pretty powerful teaching tool.
The narrator also played a big part in the quality of these videos.
The worst one in my opinion is the guy who got caught in a thunderstorm in either Arkansas or Texas. He was using an older weather radar that wasn't reporting real-time weather data. If I recall correctly the crash killed him, his wife, two of their young children, and another relative. That one really hits close to home.
Edit: link to the video I'm referring to. th-cam.com/video/83uvKWJS2os/w-d-xo.html
Controller caught him so many times,stop playing games he obviously struggling with perception.
That one hurts GPS is not real time data,he told him to stay away,he wanted shortcut an cross the line into storm..it came straight down
These videos are crucial to my ability as a flight instructor to give the best scenario-based instruction I can to my students. Please keep these coming.
When I was growing up my family often flew down the LA for Christmas from the San Francisco area. My dad was IFR qualified with lots of IMC time. In addition he was a CFI.
One year the weather turned sour in central California and when my dad got the weather briefing for the flight home he decided we were not flying back home.
He barrowed his Uncles van to drive to the airport and make arrangements to store the plane for a week or so until he got a chance to retrieve it.
While doing this he met another pilot and his friend who were planning to fly back up to the Bay Area. Fortunately he was able to talk them out of this and offered them a ride home in the van.
I remember this so clearly. Driving up I-5 under row after row of Morning Glory cloud and winds so strong they were pushing the van around.
This guy looks out as says, "I think we could have made it?"
Even at 12 I knew enough about airplanes to know that the sky was no place for a light plane. I didn't say anything but I remember my dad asking, "Really? Are you willing to bet your life on it?"
"I can probably make it." just isn't good enough. Unless you are willing to bet your life and the life of your passengers on that "probably" you should not go. Because in going you *ARE* betting your life.
Only go if you are sure you can make it. Also, stop and land if conditions get bad enough to turn your "sure" into a probably.
No one is going to kill you for deciding to land and wait for the weather to improve. On the flip side, continuing when you shouldn't will get you killed.
Your dad is a smart man/pilot . Always better to safe than sorry
Plus the fact that, as a very young man, you were astute in soaking up safety precautions even then. Because of the words and actions of your wise father, you no doubt are a safer pilot today.
Late edit: I re-read your post and see you don’t even mention being a pilot; guess I assumed you are. Regardless, yours is a well-written cautionary tale, and hopefully some pilots/students/future pilots will remember your account.
So many farm fields to land in too. Waiting to fall into them is not the answer.
@@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043 Sadly, I'm not a pilot at all. Like many kids I always thought, "I'll learn later" then one day there was no more later.
It is just to damn expensive, thanks to the lawyers.
I say let the lawyers fly Cherokees with cracked wing spars!
@@deew7014 Indeed. Dad was always a very safe pilot.
Did not realize I was waiting for another one of these videos but I’ll be damned if I didn’t click it immediately
Me too. Except when I hear the narrator’s voice at the beginning it almost gives me chills, because I know people have died. For no good reason I might add.
No watch later
Smile & joy
Do they know we love Air Safety
Just got my PPL a few weeks ago. Will watch these as long as I keep flying. I earned a license to continue learning.
People buy aircraft like the Cirrus and think it's made of Kryptonite, with a parachute. But... here we see what all too often happens.
Even if equipped with FIKI... don't do that. Life's too short already. Most just do not understand the impact even a small amount of ice can have of aircraft performance.
Well done, thank you.
Some pilots just prefer to rely on tech and they forget their hard earned piloting skills....
Finally a new one! Legendary channel, love the professionalism.
Thank you. We have a talented team here, passionate about GA safety.
I always keep an eye out to check if there’s a new one out. Learn a lot with each one of them.
I don't use the notification bell on many channels, but I do on this one. Every video is fantastic.
@amadi6 I don’t think he meant it like that. As a pilot I can assure you that we as a community are witness to almost every aviation death that happens around us and to have a well respected and professional channel like this to produce a new video after many months is awesome. As morbid as it sounds most pilots watch this stuff to learn from others and we fly with their memories and experiences to guide us
@@MrBiglig thank you. Yes, that's why we do them. They are effective in helping pilots understand the consequences of our actions and they reinforce our responsibility as pilots. We have a good safety record in GA, and part of the reason we do, is that we're brutally honest about pilot mistakes and how to fix them.
The aversion to declaring an emergency by pilots is alarming.
Indeed
He should have declared real early....
No question he should have done so but I don’t think the controller could have done any more so I’m not clear to me that it would have helped.
@@TIO540S1 all you can do is try and descend to a precautionary landing in a field. Beats the alternative
If 1TD declared an emergency he wouldn’t have needed to do a boxed left turn to get back on the localizer at Altoona! Sad to see that he was that close to landing...
I feel so terrible for 451TD. He understood the danger he was in, and even if he made mistakes, he did the best he could to try to correct for it and make the right call. Sometimes we make mistakes and get in over our heads, and we don't always get a chance to make good on those errors.
May he rest in peace.
Too bad he didn't re-direct to the first airport the ATC suggested. That second guessing may have cost him-and his passenger--their lives. That and the parachute pin.
Me too!! I liked his voice and seemed cool. If I could choose how I sounded like on the radio I’d pick him lol.
May he RIP
I'm very impressed with the professionalism of the air traffic controllers in this video.
These videos are so incredibly well done... how is this not a Netflix or cable series?? You definitely have more than just pilots watching these, please keep 'em coming!
Probably because it’s too factual and straight forward. Also it’s merely informational. This is probably the best platform.
Both are sad, but the second one really got me. The pilot realized what was happening and tried to take corrective action, but just couldn't take that last step and declare an emergency. The last bit about the CAPS pin - Lord. Imagine being in that aircraft, out of control, pulling that handle in desperation, and nothing happening.
Keep up the great work, these videos are literally saving lives.
I truly love the high quality production values presented in these videos. Amazing content! Great for education, and for general interest in aviation safety and operations. Thank you!
The controller did an outstanding job trying to help a pilot who was not being very helpful in providing real information rather than wishful thinking.
Air Safety Institute: I really appreciate how the flight paths are re-constructed on your channel. That helps people like me who are not familiar with the requests and commands between pilots and control towers. Keep up the great work!
Thank you to the families that allowed these stories to be shared. We will attempt to learn from your losses.
Very well thought out comment,I love watching these videos I'm not a pilot never even been on a plane for that matter,and I'm embarrassed to admit not once about all the families that allow them to add their sorrow to this series,it's probably why there is not 1,000 videos and only 25 to painful on the families,im glad I read this comment
Finally a new accident study video. Keep 'em coming!
That's a chilling request. On one hand good to learn, but sad that it comes on the back of a tragedy.
No no no, ideally, we shouldn't want that ;A;
That's a pretty terrible request. We all know accidents happen, but hopefully none that a video is needed afterwards.
I look forward to these videos. Not because they're enjoyable, but because I learn. Unfortunately, training does little to prepare a pilot for real, terrifying situations like these. I'm a relative low-time pilot (280 hours, almost to CFI), so my experience is limited as-is. These videos give me courage to maintain my personal minimums and to always be cautious, even when my experience increases.
If you haven't done so I suggest you do a coast to coast cross country or at least from the east coast to the mid west. This will give you a better real life scenario and something that you can share to your future student.
@@Jopanaguiton Would you recommended this to a VFR private pilot?
Always wanted to fly coast to coast (I'm in CA) and was wondering if it would be a reasonable thing to do when I get to 200+ hours.
@@Virtualmix If you have a PPL with IR and building hours for your commercial. Absolute yes. I had about 215 hours when I flew from KMYF to KIAG via SEZ ABQ COS OFF DPA ARB in PA28R. If you will be renting just make sure that the plane is fresh from a 100 Hour inspection. It was 15 hours east bound and 17.5 west bound. You can do this in 6 days but plan for this trip to take 2 weeks round trip. Have fun doing it!
@@Jopanaguiton Thanks for your reply. That sounds amazing, definitely on the top of my pilot's bucket list!
Cheers!
You'll soon learn as a professional pilot that your employer cares not for your personal minimums. It's FAR/approach minimums for a flying paycheck! Personal minimums are for GA flying. That being said, if you intend on just doing some part time instructing, personal mins would be fine if you're not flying in the ifr system every day.
This video series is the most compelling, sobering experience on all of TH-cam. Thank you for continuing to make new episodes.
"Radar contact lost", definitely one of the saddest phrases said in these videos :(
I see your animators have picked up the new Flight Simulator
With the FS2020 terrain, its kind of haunting to be able to see the EXACT same sight-picture the pilot had before impact with the ground....
@@C2828cc Yes, the graphical representation of the ice leaves much to be desired. Ice also accumulates in many situations in the game where it would not in reality, though if you have the airframe anti-icing systems turned on at all the plane will fly as though nothing is happening regardless of how bad it looks.
Vfr flight sim it sucks get xplane
Sadly I agree - FS2020 visuals are amazing but I went back to X-Plane 11
@ Ellie O'Daire
Exactly.
The planes look like they’ve been sitting on the ground at -20C and getting hoar frost.
Airborne icing is only on the front. The wing and tail leading edges. The prop spinner. The windshield. Etc. The type and severity of ice are determined by the colour, consistency, and how far back it goes from the leading edges.
Besides the usefulness, this is the most entertaining aviation channel. Please produce more of these videos!
You've got the magic recipe. Oh, and give that narrator and the script writer a raise. A big one.
Not wanting to be critical,. but do you really think "entertaining" is the right word?
Sometimes there are relatives of the deceased commenting on these videos with further info.
Excellent work ASI, I'm in the Air Force and this content is incredible.
Anyone even remotely interested in aviation can learn so much from these lessons in safety. Excellent work!
Absolutely heart breaking and gut wrenching to watch. Every pilot knows these situations are easy to get into. Two great examples of don't take off when the odds are stacked against you. :(
Outstanding content, as always.
I just listened to an episode of the Flight Safety Detectives podcast where they talk about the parachute system, and the expert they had on mentioned how a lot of pilots don't remove the safety pin... sad way to die.
TheGr8stManEvr thank you for mentioning the podcast. Heard it for the first time, just listened to two episodes. Very informative!
Been watching this channel for almost a decade now...and its just refreshing to see professional, straight-forward explanations with no unecessary drama at all!
And the new animations with MSFS is just incredible!!
A huge Thank You to everyone involved!!
"Radar contact lost... how do you hear me?" The controller must be gutted :(
Tragic... that controller sounded so invested and tried his best to help... don’t take the chance with weather
I agree. I'm sure there's some level of PTSD / survivor's guilt with controllers in these situations.
The amount is of adrenaline and alarm once he realized he wasn’t getting a response must have been terrible. What a hopeless feeling.
@@antoniorivera9395 I am pretty sure the audio on that flight is reproduced from transcripts or interviews. It is too clean to be a recording.
@@antoniorivera9395 If there is one thing I've learned from Air Safety Institute it's don't take a chance on the weather... I hate to say this is one of my favorite youtube channels because that could sound dark. I wouldn't be surprised if this series has saved tons of lives that you would never know about.
This series should be on Netflix. Very well done!
My students are always humbled and thankful for these videos, please keep them coming until accidents like these are things of the past.
Recently completed a 2+ hour solo xc flight that went as planned/expected, which had me feeling confident in my skills as a pilot. Later that night I randomly decided to look into GA videos and I am very pleased that I found this channel. These videos are very sobering and a reminder that the hazardous attitudes and operational pitfalls we are taught are very real. I have spent the weekend binge watching these videos and I am positive the lessons learned by each one will one day save my life. Good work!
Beyond the engrossing content for would be armchair pilots like myself, these Air Safety Institute videos are smart training for any sort of management, planning and risk mitigation disciplines.
I dabbled with flying in my early years but chose grad school over a private rating for $100 lunches. My father was a lifelong ATP pilot with 36,000 at his time of retirement. One of many lessons he taught me was. 1.) If you're not truly proficient at instrumental flying, then total IMC conditions is not the time to discover it. 2.) If you've violated the first rule, then declare an emergency immediately. If in icing conditions and you want to live, declare an emergency notifying ATC of your very dire situation, level your wings, and if you have an autopilot, turn it on! Now let ATC direct you to the safest airport vectoring you the entire way. By declaring an emergency, you now have everyone at your disposal to make a safe outcome. Again, use your autopilot, letting it do the flying while you manage the airplane, and with everyone's help, you may live to tell about it. Plus the FAA would much prefer to talk with you and most likely praise your choice to declare an emergency and seek the assistance as pilot in command you recognized you needed that talking to the NTSB about the accident report!
Excellent video. Having done my first night IMC flight sans instructor recently (never had a reason to before), I can attest to how significant the workload is. Couple that with an onset of disorientation and icing, and you’re asking for a scenario that’s not terribly favorable to a good outcome.
How many have lived to fly another day because of these videos?
Absolutely the best aviation content on TH-cam.
Imho, this is the best, most interesting, and most informative aviation content on TH-cam. Keep up the good work.
These are, hands downs the best and most well done educational videos not only on TH-cam but on any media outlet you can watch, cable, broadcast, steaming, period!
Thanks for keeping these going, they’re top notch.
Glad to see another video, these are great. 2020 + 2021 have been tough for GA safety. These videos provide a lot of awareness
How has 2020 been tough for GA safety? Were there more crashes in 2020 than usual?
I just started school. I can not tell you how much I appreciate these accident case studies and the quality of the production. Thank you. It comes across to me (among others) that your present flight could be you last flight at any time regardless of experience. One of the best things anyone can do throughout their anytime is lifetime is learn from the mistakes of others not just those of yourself. That's why I am here. I'm saddened. The controller is great. The pilot seemed skilled and had situational awareness. This graveyard spiral and spatial disorientation is scary to me. I'll probably never carry passengers for a long time.
If you want to see just how fast this happens, pick a location where it's snowing right now and fly your simulator through it. I did that a few weeks ago just to see how the aircraft would react to light to moderate snow. The feeling of entering a spin in IMC and popping out of a low base with terrain imminent won't leave me. It was just as sim but man... that sucked
I have owned two Piper Archers and have over 700 hours. I haven’t flown in six or seven years, and when I think about my flying time I always am glad I did it, but as I think about the various close calls and things that can go wrong, now I am glad that I do not own an airplane, not even considering all the expenses that go with owning. The icing situations here are so scary, but not nearly as bad as flying in the bad weather where are you lose the horizon. I had that happen one time, and that was one time too many.
I recently started watching this channel because it came up in my recommendations. Probably because I watch a lot of other aviation content. Amazing job. The videos are well put together, detailed, and informative. And this narrator is top notch! His voice is extremely pleasant, I feel like I could listen to him talk about anything.
These videos should be part of all pilots training. Thanks for making these available.
I love these (even if they are under sad circumstances). Great work on visualizing the data and telling a story that will hopefully save other's lives.
This mans narration is nothing short of Oscars Level
These are so well done. Pumped when a new ACS gets released. Always edifying. And now MSFS has added to the cinematic element.
This is one of the few channels that I let out an audible "YES" when I see a new video posted. Perfect blend of information and entertainment. When I'm wealthy again I plan on making a significant donation to ASI/AOPA
Absolutely incredible videos, as always. Props to the animators and narrator. Great info.
I'm not a pilot but this video is impressive in that it clearly explains how a chain of mistakes / wrong decisions can lead to a fatal crash.
Every CFI should review and discuss this with their IFR student.
I am always amazed at how amazingly helpful American ATC is in these moments compared to what we have in Europe.
Surely it's not that different. It's such an important job - often making the difference between life and death. Sorry to hear this.
Very awakening episode this one, Great job ASI. Thank you and I am certainly looking forward to more.
Finally a new episode, i have been waiting so long for a new Accident Case Study episode. This channel would have millions of subscribers by now if they just kept making these episodes.
Thank you. They take a lot of time and research to do correctly. We try to publish a case study once a quarter and other shorter videos in between.
@@richardmcspadden9189
Oh, okay thank you. You guy's do a great job on these episodes.
Thank you aopa for this well presented, thorough, informative, sobering video.
I'm addicted to these videos even though I haven't flown in 15 years and have no interest in being a pilot... the human judgment element is so compelling
I really enjoy these videos for the knowledge I gain from them but they really hit hard. We are listening to the last words these people speak. RIP
This video is how you inform, no music. Highly professional video.
Watching this made me check back on some of the decisions I made on a cross country flight yesterday. 1st I deciding to fly at a lower altitude because I anticipated some clouds coming in. And sure enough they did, right in front of me. It was easier (for me) to get below it in time than to go through it if I was higher. 2nd, coming in to land, Tower told me to hurry up because there were 2 other aircraft coming in. I acknowledged, but I kept at my same pace and went through my normal landing procedures. I'm in no rush to land the plane, rather go around than hurry and miss something, or worse speed up and bank the plane at a steeper angle than usual. Not worth it when you're that low to the ground.
Making solid, professional decisions like those are how you don't end up as the topic of one of these videos.
Edit: I just looked at who you were. Love your channel btw.
Tell ATC that if he has to tell a plane to hurry up he's not doing so great at his job 😂
We need more of "accident case study" on this channel ! It's the best
SUPERB QUALITY VIDEOS!!! Thank you the great informative videos! Learning a lot to keep safe of myself and my passengers.
I love the way these videos are presented. The narrator is perfect for this sort of educational video. Great content and presented in a clear and concise way. Great job.
It is like MFS2020 was developed just for this series. Great work, as always!
These are excellent learning resources, will put together with clear audio and graphics
451TD was involved inside the cockpit worried, but he seemed to do *most* things right, he made mistakes that piled up. This is a fascinating review of these two incidents.
To the contrary, he seemed cavalier vs PIC.
Screwup #1 was deciding to fly based on a stale forecast. If he had taken 10 minutes to get the NOWcast, who knows? He could have delayed the trip or possibly have changed his flight plan for a longer route south of the icing areas to get to where he wanted to go. Yankee winters are brutal though. I've had rime icing on my car on the PA turnpike.
If you read the NTSB transcript of n451td, there is a lot more at play unfortunately.
This is one of the most important channels on TH-cam. information here can truly save peoples lives.
I always repeat this phrase when I encounter a dicey weather briefing:
Takeoffs are optional. Landings are mandatory.
Thank you for publishing these very valuable videos of real life situations. We have to keep learning from other peoples unfortunate mistakes as we won’t live long enough to learn from all of our own. RIP to all who lost their lives. Please, learn to sit it out or take the truck.
These videos are so well done, thanks
These incredible videos are why I became a AOPA member. Good job and I hope all here head the lessons
Thanks for your support James!
As always, excellent video. Thank you and please keep producing them.
These videos are getting better all the time. I keep thinking they've hit their peak and then the next one crashes through it.
These are so well done - thank you for making these!
I am not a pilot and do not see myself ever flying a plane, however I can not stop watching these. They are so well made and I have learned so much just by watching them. Great job guys!
Great channel and videos!
Thank you for this analysis. I see great importance in it.
Just wait man or Drive. You have no Anti-Ice System. Wow
100% agree JG! Amazing the pilot launched. Icing definitely not something to mess with. I fly a SR22-G2 with TKS and that trip would have been a no go. I won’t go IFR-IMC if at my cruising altitude the temperature is less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit and always make sure I have enough altitude to decend to warmer air. If those conditions aren’t met and it’s IFR, it’s a no go. Not worth pushing a questionable situation and betting your life.
Deice and anti ice is supposed to be to get you out of trouble, not get you into it. Especially in an unpressurized piston single.
I'm a very low hours VFR pilot, and these videos keep reminding me just how much there is to flying the I still don't know.
The narrator could do play-by-play of a riot and make everyone feel calm.
It’s Morgan freeman...helluva voice
These videos are great. I'm in no way, shape or form familiar with flying, the pilot lingo, etc., beyond being an airline passenger. I've never watched these accident reenactment channels, thinking they'd be very technical and not meant for laymen. But they're easy to follow. And surprisingly, very well put together. Thanks.
Picked up ice last weekend for the first time. These ASI videos were the first thing that came to mind - we knew to take the situation seriously. We immediately altered our course and talked through possible diversions. In the end we finished our flight as planned but videos like this instilled an appropriate sense of fear.
Great feedback. Thank you. This is why we make these videos. They are sobering, but we use the tragedies to help prevent future accidents.
Good job! And hope you had good comms with ATC too, many times they want to fly you in IFC!
Oh wow, Mr McSpadden it’s an honor. I’ve watched you speak on AOPA and AvWeb webinars. Thank you for your service at the ASI.
@@j-man6001 Allentown Approach are always friendly and helpful!
This video underscores the reasons why, though I earned a commercial pilot's license, I gave up flying altogether without ever making a commercial flight. I met too many bad people in aviation to ever trust it.
Dang...you are sooooo right. .....
What a shame flying can be very safe but it takes effort you missed out on great experinces
There are a lot of new super hydrophobic coatings and surface treatments coming to the aviation market soon. They are very effective at stopping icing. Hopefully we will see the number of icing-related incidents drop drastically in a few years.
I would like to add that these things will come faster if more of us ask aircraft manufacturers about it, to show them that there is strong demand for better ice-protection.
Here is one example: th-cam.com/video/ewkvVM_Jcf8/w-d-xo.html
And another: th-cam.com/video/461jMzge3hU/w-d-xo.html
And a third: th-cam.com/video/rQijY6-kMn0/w-d-xo.html
No they are not. These coatings do not prevent the formation of ice, especially from supercooled droplets that freeze instantly on contact. Nor do they shed ice sooner. No matter how "Hydrophobic" they are. This concept has been tested multiple times over the past 20 years; and no, a "Ceramic coating" isn't going to change anything. They are all a simple polymer with suspended particles; even if these particles are a treated silica (which is where the "Super Hydrophobic" claims are derived) the do not form a "shell" or a solid coating, and they do not prevent ice.
I'd rather install heated boots along the leading edge surfaces to melt away even the strongest of ice. It shouldn't be that difficult to install stuff like this as it's basically just a heated pad. Too many icing accidents for GA to not wake up and realize there is an easy solution to this problem.
Risk homogenization means these anti-ice features, even if they work as well as advertised, will just result in aggressive or unaware pilots flying themselves and their pax deeper into dangerous situations than they did before. Reducing icing-related fatal accidents will only come from the GA community instilling a mindset of diverting or declaring earlier when danger arises.
Bullshit. Nothing "prevents icing" and super "slick" surfaces ice easier than others. Stupid is as stupid does and icing is not "preventable" in "icing conditions".
These accident report videos are very much appreciated.
Not a pilot, just a layman with an interest and enough-to-be-dangerous knowledge about GA, plus lots of sim time. I saw at least three missed opportunities for a "safe" (relatively speaking) outcome:
-continued diversion to Johnstown. From the map animation it didn't look like he was too far from landing there.
-missed localizer intercept at Altoona. He was probably minutes from being on the ground safely had he not overshot the localizer.
-the SR22 parachute. Damn, if he hadn't missed pulling the safety pin on the parachute system.
Lots of "woulda/coulda/shoulda" with this one. RIP to the pilot and passenger, and lessons learned for the rest of us.
Even as a non-pilot these accident case studies are fascinating.
Non-pilot here with a lifelong interest in Aviation also. Agree fully with your observations.
Non instrument rated pilot here. Definitely good points you made. When I began instrument training I will be applying all the lessons learned from these videos. It's just not worth it to take a chance in the air.
Sim time is not experience...you are correct. But if you are interested. The mistake that led to this guys death was flying into known IMC and icing WITHOUT the proper equipment. In short, taking off was the fatal mistake.
He was worried he wouldn't be legally able to land and Johnstown. Given the weather that is a very real risk. Unfortunately he apparently didn't see the ice as a major risk until too late.
@@joshualandry3160 exactly. It was minimums vs. time in the air.
In the beginning, I also thought that landing in Altoona is the better bet. The risk of a cloud base at 200' touching down is very real. 500', while not much different, gives a certain margin.
However, ice builds up over time. Failure to find conditions, where ice growth can be arrested or even reversed, mandates an expedited landing.
So the takeaway would be: shoot an approach to Johnstown and if unable, execute a controlled caps pull into a field.
This series of videos from the air safety institute is indispensable and very well presented for training.
Thanks for these videos. We can get valuable lessons from these. Keep them coming.
Super service to pilots, promotion of safety. Narration is easy to listen to, professional, perfect tone and cadence given events and purpose of video.
I know this is an old vid... BUT this is important, and somebody NEEDS to say it.
Guys, it's OKAY to declare an emergency! Your balls aren't going to shrivel up and blow away because you admitted there was something wrong enough on your flight that you're just not comfortable "flying as usual" anymore. It does NOT matter whether it's icing, engine noise, oil pressure, gauges or gyros failing, or a damn migraine "coming on"... If you're in trouble, SAY SO.
Nobody's going to remember that day you landed at an unintended alternate because you got rattled and it turned out to be light frost and a loose rivet in some piece of unessential cowling making a racket. They WILL remember the day you splattered your plane and passengers over about a mile square of terrain, BECAUSE you will get featured in a dozen videos like this one. They WILL cry over the Sucrets box they bury you in.
Frankly, I'd RATHER buy the ATC guys a round of beers and laugh with them about the loose rivet and negligible frost that scared me out of the sky. It'll be worth every "ribbing" I get whenever I fly through their area and they recognize the voice and numbers... It'll be worth a dubious nickname for years...
It's a lark and you get over it... and/or lean into the comedy gold. Be a legend, survive a sh*tty situation! ;o)
Another great video from AOPA. I watch these case studies religiously and appreciate both the content and polished presentation. Seems like airframe ice is such a common issue in the US and I'm very thankful it's not a common issue for private pilots over here in the northern Australian states.
The SECOND I give it right input and it continues left I am reaching for that chute handle.
Absolutely sobering, humbling and amazingly well produced stories considering the circumstances. The aviation community is here to learn from others mistakes in the hopes that we don't make them ourselves. My heart always bleeds for those lost in these accidents, and I hope we can all learn from their tragedy.