Six years ago today I had the accident in the video and not a day goes by that I don't regret or relive part of it. I appreciate the vast majority of the people who have thanked me for the video and I feel sorry for the few who don't get it or are just Trolls. I would never wish the horror on anybody and I pray that the video might have influenced some pilots into being safer or more understanding of their condition, relative to flying than I did on 1-22-11 Russ Jeter 1-22-17
Russ Jeter Mr Jeter your son has wings of his own and he wouldn't want you to stop flying. God bless you and your family. Your story has me rethinking my views of organ transplanting.
Thanks for Sharing your painful story. that takes a lot of courage and you are a real man for doing so. Landing gear mistakes seem a very common accident and happen to the sharpest of people and most professional of pilots. You did have a lot on your mind having just released your mother's obit the day of the accident..and were focusing on bonding with your son. Easy to see with an amphibian that the complexities with gear up / down are compounded especially if you are making multiple take offs from both sea and land.
Russ, Thank you very much for sharing your story. I'm an aspiring airline pilot and will solo sometime in January. I have always believed in checklists, passenger briefings, and sterile cockpit conditions in critical fazes of flight, however your story has brought a whole new respect for them in my mind. I grieve your loss also, but hope that you will be able to find some good in the future fatal accidents your video may have prevented. Thank you again.
Mr. Jeter, it took incredible courage, integrity and generosity to tell this story, and to fund it. Thank you for telling Jacob's story and helping to keep all of us flying safely.
Dear Russ, My heart ached as I listened to the loss of your son. I flew for the Navy and the airlines for 42 years and 29,000 hours accident free. But I can tell you it was my copilots that caught my errors and that's what kept me and hundreds of passengers safe. You and I are mere humans. I pray God's grace mercy and peace upon Jacob and your family. Thank you for such an informative video. God bless you Russ. Bill Bellinger
As a pilot and a parent, I always flew with a heightened awareness with my kids on board, because I felt that I could have never coped with a tragedy of this unbelievable scale. It is impossible to view this video without shedding tears.
As a pilot and a father of a son about 6 months older than Jacob - I thank you for sharing your family's story and I am sorry for the tragic loss you and your family have suffered. I will be a safer pilot because of what you have shared.
Not the point of the video but high praise to your wife for the support in such a loss. I can’t imagine the pain you both have suffered. As a fellow pilot, thank you for sharing. My prayers are with you.
Tom Edgar it’s a daddy’s loss too. Some of us moms realize that. We also realize that real daddy’s would never allow harm to come to their baby on purpose.
When I saw mr. Jeter giving the interview at the beginning, I thought everyone was ok. Now I feel like someone kicked my gut. Condolences don't even begin to describe it. RIP Jacob.
I am a pilot and my son is now seven, same age as Jacob. It was heartbreaking watching this and there is no doubt it will stay with me. Russ, thank you for posting this. I am pleased to hear you didn't give up flying.
Mr Jeter. I too have a video on line and have suffered the attacks of the trolls, or the perfectionists that think it can't happen to them. I'm so glad you are still flying, as am I, and trying to educate by sharing your story. God bless you sir, my prayers are with you and your family. Thanks for sharing and stay strong.
Brian Brown, I haven't seen your video, but I am willing to bet that the self-righteous trolls, pilot bor not, have ALL been in a situation at least once where they made an error that COULD have had a disastrous outcome, but didn't simply because of chance or luck. I know I have!
Wow. That takes a big man to make this video. This speaks volumes of your character and the quality of person you are. Good job, and im very sorry for your loss.
This sad event is the most touching thing I've ever seen on youtube or in telly. No actors, just some reconstuction footage, and the sad story.Narrating vioce is excellent, edit is excellent, and thanks to Mr. Jeter for sharing his sad story. Hope others will be more safer in the air. Sorry for your loss.
What an excellent tribute to this man, his family, and his son. A powerful message is being given in this video. I would urge anyone interested in being a pilot to watch this. I hope and pray this family finds peace.
Thank you for your bravery. I have learned a lot and I am so deeply sorry for your loss. I will carry that lesson with me as long as I remain a pilot. Your son would be proud.
I only have 1 child a son. I can’t imagine the pain this man and wife must have felt. I especially feel his pain as he was there during the accident helpless and no options. When he said my son yelled “Dad” is what really hit home. Thank you for sharing your story.
I'm so sorry to hear of your tragedy. After 50 years of being passionate about flying I've given up. I've been to too many funerals of pilots who I regarded as highly skilled. In 13 years of ownership of a high performance aircraft I took my kids up maybe twice and I refrained from encouraging them about aviation as a hobby or career.The I'm SAFE model has been counter-productive for me, especially as it heightened my concern about lack of sleep, in fact causing lack of sleep prior to flying.
How 31 people can dislike this is really a shame. In individual will such a loss, trying to help others ... I just don't get it. I... do THANK YOU... for making me a better pilot! A great lesson for sure!
Probably just accidentally fumbling with the phone as the video plays, and pressing dislike when in a pocket or something similar. This is an incredibly powerful and important story. I'm balling. Thank you for having the strength to share this. One hell of a strong father, RIP Jacob, and peace be to all who mourn.
@@Al-lu8fd huh, I take it you were the 65th dislike... but thanks for at least explaining...but wish I understood what dead homunculi actually means but think you meant you disliked the 'death' aspect of the video. But as a pilot, it is these types of videos that are absolutely invaluable to learn from and hopefully save lives.
I have watched this several times in the last couple of years. Many years ago I lost my family (father, mother and brother) in a little Piper Straight Pacer, it caught fire in the air and dad could not get it on the ground in time. Never have and never will get over it and I am an old lady now. I cannot even get my head around the loss of a child. My heart is broken for this gentleman. I hope time has given him and the family some peace. Ironically my son is a pilot.
Extremely brave of this man to open himself up on a platform like this. He brought a VERY important issue to light for me, and that is self-assessment and self-reflection. This should count for everything, whether you're a pilot, boat captain or you're getting in the car to drive to the shop. Always, always self-assess.
Spooky to be watching this exactly 11 years after the accident. I'm not a pilot but I do drive and maintain my own racecars, and organize grassroots racing events. I have my ritual safety checks and inspections from the garage to the track. But things happen so fast once you're at events, especially ones that I help manage staff and take care of paying customers. Often times, I'm flying by the seat of my pants, and I'm not even in the car yet. There's so much on your mind when you're about to strap into a car and go 100 miles an hour, plus the times I'm just trying to go out on track for a few minutes to blow off some steam and get away from people. I know I've forgotten to do little things like set tire pressure or turn on my cameras and data loggers. Luckily nothing I've ever forgotten was life threatening, but your story really puts things into perspective. Especially with the subconscious psychiatric elements like stress and sleep deprivation, both things I deal with on race weekends. I can only imagine what you've gone through in this accident, but I thank you so much for sharing. Jacob would be proud that you're helping others consider these things. I need to reevaluate my checklists, be more thorough, do as much as I can before the weekend, and try not to be in such a hurry. I also need to encourage our team and participants to do the same.
I thank you for sharing your tragic story and experience in this video. I am sorry for the loss of Jacob. There are so many lessons to be learnt from your video, some of which are very obvious and too painful to mention. But thank you.
Thank you Mr. Jeter for sharing your tragic story that no one should have to experience, and then relive daily. I firmly believe videos like this, while difficult to watch, do save lives. By still flying, doing something that Jacob loved, you are honoring your beautiful son. May God bless you and your family.
I have watched so many of these videos and most leave me sad, but having two children this one was by far the hardest to take. 😭 This effort at applying any and all science and resources to get to the bottom of “why?” is such a useful tribute to the memory of the young boy. I do feel like a common thread in so many of these videos is chatter in the cockpit (absolutely any talk unrelated to flying the aircraft), in particular during takeoff and landing. Having a passenger or family member flying with you is great for staying awake and remaining alert on a long flight but it should be made clear that unless the passenger is helping with the checklists, no chatter, at all, coming up or down. The checklists are a great teaching tool and kids or frequent passengers can be made aware of them to keep all interested parties engaged in the flying of the aircraft and add to the fun of the experience. Mr. Jeter, I’m glad you got back up there. Be safe. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Jeter for sharing your tragedy with us in this way, so that others may never know a similar loss.
Your son did not die in vain, his legacy lives on thru this courageous video that you have put together for us pilots to learn valuable lessons, not only about flying, but our humaness. Thank you for sharing this most unfortunate tragedy with us. I know a piece of your human & your wife's human heart, has been broken, but we are human. " To err is human" which your loving wife completely understands which is Divine! Thank You and your wife for sharing this tragedy , i know it wasn't easy for either one of you to do this. I'm sure your son Jacob is flying right along side the both of you now and smiling. Stay Well , Joe Cronan
Powerful, heartbreaking, illuminating video. My condolences to the pilot and his family. Mr. Jeter's heart and grace in tragedy and intelligence in making it a teaching moment is admirable.
Mr Jeter thank you so veryuvh for having the courage to tell your story. You are appreciated. I am honoring the memory of your son. You all have paid I very high price for me to see this video, thank you!
I just flew with my 8 year old the other day and the responsibility of his life being in my hands was heavy... I feel for you, sir. Thank you for sharing your story.
Also, carring a glow in the dark seat belt cutter, one with a large handle! I also wonder if that type of seat belt release was a major cause of the death. (In my opinion) push button seatbelt releases should not be in any machine that can flips over.
Accidents happen and it hurts the most when it involves our loved ones, thank you for having the courage to share your story! I’m very sorry for your loss.
Russ.... don't know if you will ever see this but first I am so sorry for your loss. But I want to say thank you for sharing, this has made a profound impact in my life, not only the lesson in aviation (just starting down the road to my Private) but more importantly speaking to a situation in another area of life. May God richly bless you and your family and I will always remember Jacob and his incredible smile!
Tim Russert shared a story that might give you some solace. If God told you that he'd give you a beautiful loving son, but that you could only have him for seven years, you'd have taken that deal in a heartbeat. And if God told Jacob that he could live with a wonderful loving family, but only for seven years, he'd have taken that deal in a heartbeat as well. Till we all meet on the otherside, I hope you'll introduce us all to Jacob. God Bless, thanks for sharing.
I can't imagine the courage it took for you to make this video, Mr. Jeter. God Bless you, your wife, the many people who contributed to Jacob's enduring memory, and of course, Jacob himself.
Iam not a pilot but I flew many times with my dad back in the 60s. I have watched many videos on this subject and this one was the most difficult for me to watch. I cannot imagine what you and your family have endured. There are times like this that life just does not seem fair. I admire your decision to carry on with flying. Thank you so very much for this video.
My heart goes out to this wonderful father. This is such a tragic story but it was an accident. We all make mistakes. My brother died in a car I was driving, I had fallen asleep momentarily. Afterwards I was grief-stricken and suicidal. I still mourn for him 27 years later. I believe he is more alive than I. I know as soul we do not die. When we pass over we are united again. God bless you and your family. All will be well
Russ, yes, this one makes us think deeply about all the aspects of our aviation endeavors. I'm so, so sorry about your experience and your devastating loss that continues to haunt you - even after this many years... But at least you can can know that you have given us, your fellow aviators a timeless contribution of great value which we can learn from and appreciate. Your loss makes us more introspective and self-analyzing. And that is a very valuable gift for us. Thank you for this.
Great video. Very hard to watch. My heart goes out to Russ Jeter and the Jeter family. Thank you for participating and allowing the production of this video. It has already done a ton of good and Im sure will go on influencing young pilots like myself for decades to come.
I'm so sorry for your loss, sir. I have two kids of same age and fly with them as often as we can. I cannot imagine such horrible pain your family has gone through. You are a brave man for telling us your story, there's a lesson to be learned from this for sure.
What a strong and courageous father to be able to do this video to help others not make the same mistake. I have said a prayer for the entire family to find God's peace. I believe that Mr. Jeter, if he knows the Lord, will be with Jacob again someday. Excellent video, thanks for doing it. And what a wonderful tribute to Jacob's memory! God bless you.
Hi, Russ. July 19, 2009 my son was driving himself to Boy Scout camp and died after colliding with another driver that Sunday morning near Long Prairie, MN. He was tired from the previous day' events - sitting through a Scoutmaster Conference and Board of Review - to advance one rank in scouting. He was just 16-1/2 years old and his name was Jacob also. Your story resonates with me because I too felt the guilt of his death. Why? I could have driven him back to camp. I just didn't realize he was that tired because I was caught up doing my own home project. And I so understand the pain and grief associated with the death of a child. Even Dr. Phil is ignorant about this subject as he only says to recall the good times (he has never buried a child and can't understand what he does not know). The truth, Russ, is we LEARN TO LIVE without our dear one, and we have this HOPE in the resurrection.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for having the courage and generosity to share your experience with others. Your son would have been proud of you indeed.
I am so sorry you went through this. I live in Washington and know exactly how cold Lake Washington is and the shock of exposure can be. Thank you for this courageous video to remind us all how simple distractions while flying can affect performance. Every pilot has dodged that same bullet. God bless.
Russ, my deepest condolences on the loss of your precious Son. Russ, I know you seek no praise, but what you've presented here is praise worthy because you put others ahead of yourself. I hope you can heal from the loss of Jacob, and find that place where your mind sets you free from guilt. You're a good man and a great Father/Husband Russ.
As your father said, you’re an angel Jacob. I feel for you. I feel for Russell. Both of you are touching others and resonating a powerful message. A message I felt in my soul.
God rest wee Jacobs soul. Absolutly heart breaking. Ive took on board what you have said here. wish you and your family all the healing power in the world.
One pilot to another, few men would or could further a lost son's legacy better than to admit a mistake. Given the example of you sir, we all will miss what your son would have grown to be. The wound will never heal but you must survive for the rest of your family and Jacob's memory!
Thank you for having the courage to share this horrible story with us. May it stick in my head and come to light one day when I'm too fatigued to fly myself.
My heartfelt condolences to you and your family Russ. Thank you for sharing and making me a better pilot through your story. As a believer, I just want to say that I'll be praying for you and your family to find comfort from the grief. My heart aches with you friend. Phil in Alaska
As others have said, your courage in making this video and the self examination it documents, is heroic. I have had a love of flying that I've never been able to take beyond being a commercial passenger. As a long term sufferer of depression I can assure you that the toll it takes on you is hidden and insideous. I think that by working with the human factors specialist you've stumbled upon a serious problem that few pilots face. If someone had told you, don't fly solo or PIC for 90 days after the loss of a loved one, you probably would have listened. This would be the lesson I take away from this. Grief, depression and the physiological manifestations of that(I'm writing you at 4am!) are frequently underestimated. I hope you find a "peace" with this. Grounded in Kirkland
Thank you Russ for sharing your heart breaking experience I can tell by reading the other comments that you touched a lot of other pilot's and made them safer pilot's. Also I am very sorry for your loss. Also keep flying I believe Jacob would want you to. And even though you can't see him he is right there with you.
Dear Russ, it must have been very difficult to have made this video but the aviation world is a safer place because of videos like this one. Thank you and God bless you and your family for your strength, love, integrity and compassion. You are quite right - Jacob is VERY proud of you! Love and prayers from England.
I can’t imagine the emotional pain of losing your child. Thank you for having the grace and humility to make this video. I has enormous impact on my flying decisions. God bless.
I truly hope two years on has eased your pain. I admire you greatly for sharing this information to help reduce the risk of something similar happening in the future. As for the trolls, hard to believe someone could be as cruel to you, I can only imagine they are in pain too. You may never fully accept this but the human condition causes mistakes, most don’t come with such a heavy price tag. I nearly lost a son due to forgetting to put the rear safety lock on the car. I went round a corner and the door flew open, he very nearly fell out. I’m sure there are thousands of incidents like that. You seem the type of guy who would forgive a parent for making a mistake like that, I urge you to use that same compassion on yourself. Forgive yourself...... We all have.
that was chilling. Thank you for sharing your story. It is so easy to shrug off accidents to human errors and from there to pure statistics, but the reality is: Every case number is a tragedy leaving a hole in a community. Yet: life is marching on and all we can to is to work an a better further for those we care for. Thank you.
Wow, I have been thinking about resuming flying. Then watching this, I realize my daughters and my wife will eventually fly with me and I think of little mistakes I make once in a while. I am very sorry for your loss Russ. Thank you for sharing
Six years ago today I had the accident in the video and not a day goes by that I don't regret or relive part of it. I appreciate the vast majority of the people who have thanked me for the video and I feel sorry for the few who don't get it or are just Trolls. I would never wish the horror on anybody and I pray that the video might have influenced some pilots into being safer or more understanding of their condition, relative to flying than I did on 1-22-11
Russ Jeter 1-22-17
Russ, I like what you say in the video.. Jacob would of wanted me to do this safety video.
Good to hear your still flying. Happy landings!
Russ Jeter thanks for sharing Russ,am a student pilot at KOWD.
Russ Jeter Mr Jeter your son has wings of his own and he wouldn't want you to stop flying. God bless you and your family. Your story has me rethinking my views of organ transplanting.
Thanks for Sharing your painful story. that takes a lot of courage and you are a real man for doing so. Landing gear mistakes seem a very common accident and happen to the sharpest of people and most professional of pilots. You did have a lot on your mind having just released your mother's obit the day of the accident..and were focusing on bonding with your son. Easy to see with an amphibian that the complexities with gear up / down are compounded especially if you are making multiple take offs from both sea and land.
Russ,
Thank you very much for sharing your story. I'm an aspiring airline pilot and will solo sometime in January. I have always believed in checklists, passenger briefings, and sterile cockpit conditions in critical fazes of flight, however your story has brought a whole new respect for them in my mind. I grieve your loss also, but hope that you will be able to find some good in the future fatal accidents your video may have prevented. Thank you again.
Mr. Jeter, it took incredible courage, integrity and generosity to tell this story, and to fund it. Thank you for telling Jacob's story and helping to keep all of us flying safely.
hes an amazing person
FlyingShotsman = Tell the story of saving his sorry butt but no concern for his son.
Mel Rose your pure ignorance shines incredibly bright !! It must be miserable being you.
Thank you for your story. I am a low hour private pilot, and these videos are an immense help to me in learning from others' mistakes.
Flying is so unforgiving. He made a little error and that's all folks
Dear Russ,
My heart ached as I listened to the loss of your son. I flew for the Navy and the airlines for 42 years and 29,000 hours accident free. But I can tell you it was my copilots that caught my errors and that's what kept me and hundreds of passengers safe. You and I are mere humans. I pray God's grace mercy and peace upon Jacob and your family. Thank you for such an informative video. God bless you Russ.
Bill Bellinger
Amen, not a dry eye here. God bless
….Amen
I have a lot of respect for this man. I say thank you to him for sharing his very painful story. I hope he continues to heal.
As a pilot and a parent, I always flew with a heightened awareness with my kids on board, because I felt that I could have never coped with a tragedy of this unbelievable scale. It is impossible to view this video without shedding tears.
Amen 🙏
I had to stop watching a few times, just brutal.
I forced myself through it as well, as I fly family as well. We are indebted to Mr. Jeter.
their is always hightened sense of safery when you have chrilden onboard. to live this one never forgets
toughest video i have ever watched. bless you and your family
As a pilot and a father of a son about 6 months older than Jacob - I thank you for sharing your family's story and I am sorry for the tragic loss you and your family have suffered. I will be a safer pilot because of what you have shared.
Not the point of the video but high praise to your wife for the support in such a loss. I can’t imagine the pain you both have suffered. As a fellow pilot, thank you for sharing. My prayers are with you.
Agreed
Tom Edgar it’s a daddy’s loss too. Some of us moms realize that. We also realize that real daddy’s would never allow harm to come to their baby on purpose.
When I saw mr. Jeter giving the interview at the beginning, I thought everyone was ok. Now I feel like someone kicked my gut. Condolences don't even begin to describe it. RIP Jacob.
I am a pilot and my son is now seven, same age as Jacob. It was heartbreaking watching this and there is no doubt it will stay with me. Russ, thank you for posting this. I am pleased to hear you didn't give up flying.
Mr Jeter. I too have a video on line and have suffered the attacks of the trolls, or the perfectionists that think it can't happen to them. I'm so glad you are still flying, as am I, and trying to educate by sharing your story. God bless you sir, my prayers are with you and your family. Thanks for sharing and stay strong.
Brian Brown, I haven't seen your video, but I am willing to bet that the self-righteous trolls, pilot bor not, have ALL been in a situation at least once where they made an error that COULD have had a disastrous outcome, but didn't simply because of chance or luck. I know I have!
Wow. That takes a big man to make this video. This speaks volumes of your character and the quality of person you are. Good job, and im very sorry for your loss.
This sad event is the most touching thing I've ever seen on youtube or in telly. No actors, just some reconstuction footage, and the sad story.Narrating vioce is excellent, edit is excellent, and thanks to Mr. Jeter for sharing his sad story. Hope others will be more safer in the air.
Sorry for your loss.
What an excellent tribute to this man, his family, and his son. A powerful message is being given in this video. I would urge anyone interested in being a pilot to watch this. I hope and pray this family finds peace.
Your son is flying high. The soul never dies. You showed him a great adventure and his adventure will always live on. Take care.
Never teared up watching one of these safety videos. Coming from a father of 5, you sir, you are incredible.
Thank you for your bravery. I have learned a lot and I am so deeply sorry for your loss. I will carry that lesson with me as long as I remain a pilot. Your son would be proud.
Sir, You have helped those suffering from loss in other forms to keep going that have nothing to do with flying. God Bless.
It's a heartbreaking story.
May this little angel Jacob rest in peace.
Thank you for this touching video.
It takes a MAN to tell this story; RIP Jacob.
I only have 1 child a son. I can’t imagine the pain this man and wife must have felt. I especially feel his pain as he was there during the accident helpless and no options. When he said my son yelled “Dad” is what really hit home. Thank you for sharing your story.
I'm so sorry to hear of your tragedy. After 50 years of being passionate about flying I've given up. I've been to too many funerals of pilots who I regarded as highly skilled. In 13 years of ownership of a high performance aircraft I took my kids up maybe twice and I refrained from encouraging them about aviation as a hobby or career.The I'm SAFE model has been counter-productive for me, especially as it heightened my concern about lack of sleep, in fact causing lack of sleep prior to flying.
There aren't words to describe such a loss. The fact that you pressed on is admirable. May your days forward bring you peace.
How 31 people can dislike this is really a shame. In individual will such a loss, trying to help others ... I just don't get it. I... do THANK YOU... for making me a better pilot! A great lesson for sure!
I'm hoping they dislike the situation and not the video itself. What a touching tribute. The pilot is so strong.
It would be helpful if people would explain why they dislike a given video.
Probably just accidentally fumbling with the phone as the video plays, and pressing dislike when in a pocket or something similar. This is an incredibly powerful and important story. I'm balling. Thank you for having the strength to share this. One hell of a strong father, RIP Jacob, and peace be to all who mourn.
Easy to explain. It’s 31 emotionally dead homunculi
@@Al-lu8fd huh, I take it you were the 65th dislike... but thanks for at least explaining...but wish I understood what dead homunculi actually means but think you meant you disliked the 'death' aspect of the video. But as a pilot, it is these types of videos that are absolutely invaluable to learn from and hopefully save lives.
I have watched this several times in the last couple of years. Many years ago I lost my family (father, mother and brother) in a little Piper Straight Pacer, it caught fire in the air and dad could not get it on the ground in time. Never have and never will get over it and I am an old lady now. I cannot even get my head around the loss of a child. My heart is broken for this gentleman. I hope time has given him and the family some peace. Ironically my son is a pilot.
Sorry for your loss. God bless.
Linda, God Bless you I am so sorry for such a tremendous loss
Extremely brave of this man to open himself up on a platform like this. He brought a VERY important issue to light for me, and that is self-assessment and self-reflection. This should count for everything, whether you're a pilot, boat captain or you're getting in the car to drive to the shop. Always, always self-assess.
the better way to deal with some things, is to know about them.
thanks for sharing, this channel are saving lives.
Thank you, Russ, for this. My Dad is in his last days. I am hanging the keys up for a while.
Spooky to be watching this exactly 11 years after the accident. I'm not a pilot but I do drive and maintain my own racecars, and organize grassroots racing events. I have my ritual safety checks and inspections from the garage to the track.
But things happen so fast once you're at events, especially ones that I help manage staff and take care of paying customers. Often times, I'm flying by the seat of my pants, and I'm not even in the car yet. There's so much on your mind when you're about to strap into a car and go 100 miles an hour, plus the times I'm just trying to go out on track for a few minutes to blow off some steam and get away from people.
I know I've forgotten to do little things like set tire pressure or turn on my cameras and data loggers. Luckily nothing I've ever forgotten was life threatening, but your story really puts things into perspective. Especially with the subconscious psychiatric elements like stress and sleep deprivation, both things I deal with on race weekends.
I can only imagine what you've gone through in this accident, but I thank you so much for sharing. Jacob would be proud that you're helping others consider these things. I need to reevaluate my checklists, be more thorough, do as much as I can before the weekend, and try not to be in such a hurry. I also need to encourage our team and participants to do the same.
I thank you for sharing your tragic story and experience in this video. I am sorry for the loss of Jacob.
There are so many lessons to be learnt from your video, some of which are very obvious and too painful to mention. But thank you.
Thank you so much, Russ, for having the courage to share your story with total honesty. May God bless you, sir.
Russ, thank you for your tremendous courage in helping all of us be better.
Thank you Mr. Jeter for sharing your tragic story that no one should have to experience, and then relive daily. I firmly believe videos like this, while difficult to watch, do save lives. By still flying, doing something that Jacob loved, you are honoring your beautiful son. May God bless you and your family.
I have watched so many of these videos and most leave me sad, but having two children this one was by far the hardest to take. 😭
This effort at applying any and all science and resources to get to the bottom of “why?” is such a useful tribute to the memory of the young boy.
I do feel like a common thread in so many of these videos is chatter in the cockpit (absolutely any talk unrelated to flying the aircraft), in particular during takeoff and landing.
Having a passenger or family member flying with you is great for staying awake and remaining alert on a long flight but it should be made clear that unless the passenger is helping with the checklists, no chatter, at all, coming up or down.
The checklists are a great teaching tool and kids or frequent passengers can be made aware of them to keep all interested parties engaged in the flying of the aircraft and add to the fun of the experience.
Mr. Jeter, I’m glad you got back up there. Be safe. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Jeter for sharing your tragedy with us in this way, so that others may never know a similar loss.
Your son did not die in vain, his legacy lives on thru this courageous video that you have put together for us pilots to learn valuable lessons, not only about flying, but our humaness. Thank you for sharing this most unfortunate tragedy with us. I know a piece of your human & your wife's human heart, has been broken, but we are human. " To err is human" which your loving wife completely understands which is Divine! Thank You and your wife for sharing this tragedy , i know it wasn't easy for either one of you to do this. I'm sure your son Jacob is flying right along side the both of you now and smiling. Stay Well , Joe Cronan
What sort of person puts a dislike to such a sad tragedy?
Powerful, heartbreaking, illuminating video. My condolences to the pilot and his family. Mr. Jeter's heart and grace in tragedy and intelligence in making it a teaching moment is admirable.
Mr
Jeter thank you so veryuvh for having the courage to tell your story. You are appreciated. I am honoring the memory of your son. You all have paid I very high price for me to see this video, thank you!
I just flew with my 8 year old the other day and the responsibility of his life being in my hands was heavy... I feel for you, sir. Thank you for sharing your story.
This has convinced me to have a Spare-Air for every seat in any seaplane I ever own. That and an underwater light.
Also, carring a glow in the dark seat belt cutter, one with a large handle! I also wonder if that type of seat belt release was a major cause of the death. (In my opinion) push button seatbelt releases should not be in any machine that can flips over.
Accidents happen and it hurts the most when it involves our loved ones, thank you for having the courage to share your story! I’m very sorry for your loss.
Russ.... don't know if you will ever see this but first I am so sorry for your loss. But I want to say thank you for sharing, this has made a profound impact in my life, not only the lesson in aviation (just starting down the road to my Private) but more importantly speaking to a situation in another area of life. May God richly bless you and your family and I will always remember Jacob and his incredible smile!
We're all glad you're alive, Russ. Thank you for making this video possible.
Tim Russert shared a story that might give you some solace. If God told you that he'd give you a beautiful loving son, but that you could only have him for seven years, you'd have taken that deal in a heartbeat. And if God told Jacob that he could live with a wonderful loving family, but only for seven years, he'd have taken that deal in a heartbeat as well. Till we all meet on the otherside, I hope you'll introduce us all to Jacob. God Bless, thanks for sharing.
Show some respect. The mans son was killed.There's no need to justify bronze age biblical child sacrifice.
Chas A,
I found comfort in the thoughts you shared. Thank you.
@@spencerhinds Child sacrifice? Where did you get that? smh
@@spencerhinds sad comment. I really appreciated what Chas wrote.
@@spencerhinds He did show respect, it is you who are not. If you don't agree with his way of offering support, just quietly go your own way.
Hard to watch without crying. Rest in peace, Jacob.❤
As a pilot, I will never forget this video. Thank you for your heartbreaking yet amazing story
I can't imagine the courage it took for you to make this video, Mr. Jeter.
God Bless you, your wife, the many people who contributed to Jacob's enduring memory, and of course, Jacob himself.
It is incredibly generous of you to share this very personal tragic accident with us in such detail...... Thank You Russ
Oh my dear Lord. I am so sorry for your loss, your courage to tell your story. Damn landing gear. I'm so sorry. God bless you all.
I'm a low time ppl and this video is critical to share. Obviously difficult but necessary. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much. I fly with my daughters. Your courage makes me fly safer when with them. All my sympathy and wishes for healing
Iam not a pilot but I flew many times with my dad back in the 60s. I have watched many videos on this subject and this one was the most difficult for me to watch. I cannot imagine what you and your family have endured. There are times like this that life just does not seem fair. I admire your decision to carry on with flying. Thank you so very much for this video.
Thanks I pray for your family. Iam 82 and flew all over the Idaho back country. JESUS is real. you have a good heart.
That's a truly terrible story, you are just amazing for having the courage to share this
My heart goes out to this wonderful father. This is such a tragic story but it was an accident. We all make mistakes. My brother died in a car I was driving, I had fallen asleep momentarily. Afterwards I was grief-stricken and suicidal. I still mourn for him 27 years later. I believe he is more alive than I. I know as soul we do not die. When we pass over we are united again. God bless you and your family. All will be well
Russ thank you so much for doing this story for us ...had us in tears .... but glad your still flying
Russ, yes, this one makes us think deeply about all the aspects of our aviation endeavors. I'm so, so sorry about your experience and your devastating loss that continues to haunt you - even after this many years... But at least you can can know that you have given us, your fellow aviators a timeless contribution of great value which we can learn from and appreciate. Your loss makes us more introspective and self-analyzing. And that is a very valuable gift for us. Thank you for this.
Great video. Very hard to watch. My heart goes out to Russ Jeter and the Jeter family. Thank you for participating and allowing the production of this video. It has already done a ton of good and Im sure will go on influencing young pilots like myself for decades to come.
What a heart wrenching story. But thank you for sharing, it's story's like this that keep us humble and make us appreciate what we really have.
Sorry for your loss. Thank you for very informative video.
Thank you! Thank you! Peace to you and your family. Jacob will not be forgotten!
I'm so sorry for your loss, sir. I have two kids of same age and fly with them as often as we can. I cannot imagine such horrible pain your family has gone through. You are a brave man for telling us your story, there's a lesson to be learned from this for sure.
God bless you, sir. I've watched this multiple times and I believe your boy IS proud of you. I truly hope you've found peace.
Thank you for having the courage to share your story. Anyone that sees this will be a better pilot 🙏🏻
Thank you for this. Sorry for your loss. Your son would be very proud.
Your son is definitely proud of you.....Powerful story. Thank you for sharing....
Valuable lessons here for all pilots. Thank you for sharing.
Mr. Jeter. Hopefully others will learn from your painful experience. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Mr.Jeter, for sharing this story with us
You and your wife are appreciated for doing this video. To help others through your terrible tragedy. Great strength of BOTH of you
So sorry for your loss
It takes a brave man to relate a painful story so others may benefit and stay safe.
Thanks Russ
What a strong and courageous father to be able to do this video to help others not make the same mistake.
I have said a prayer for the entire family to find God's peace. I believe that Mr. Jeter, if he knows the Lord, will be with Jacob again someday. Excellent video, thanks for doing it. And what a wonderful tribute to Jacob's memory! God bless you.
A beautiful tribute...thank you, Russ.
Hi, Russ. July 19, 2009 my son was driving himself to Boy Scout camp and died after colliding with another driver that Sunday morning near Long Prairie, MN. He was tired from the previous day' events - sitting through a Scoutmaster Conference and Board of Review - to advance one rank in scouting. He was just 16-1/2 years old and his name was Jacob also. Your story resonates with me because I too felt the guilt of his death. Why? I could have driven him back to camp. I just didn't realize he was that tired because I was caught up doing my own home project. And I so understand the pain and grief associated with the death of a child. Even Dr. Phil is ignorant about this subject as he only says to recall the good times (he has never buried a child and can't understand what he does not know). The truth, Russ, is we LEARN TO LIVE without our dear one, and we have this HOPE in the resurrection.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for having the courage and generosity to share your experience with others.
Your son would have been proud of you indeed.
My condolences and thank you for having the courage to share this story and educate the GA community.
It's very difficult for any parent to listen to your story without tears and heartbreak. Best wishes to you and your family.
I am so sorry you went through this. I live in Washington and know exactly how cold Lake Washington is and the shock of exposure can be. Thank you for this courageous video to remind us all how simple distractions while flying can affect performance. Every pilot has dodged that same bullet. God bless.
Russ, my deepest condolences on the loss of your precious Son. Russ, I know you seek no praise, but what you've presented here is praise worthy because you put others ahead of yourself. I hope you can heal from the loss of Jacob, and find that place where your mind sets you free from guilt. You're a good man and a great Father/Husband Russ.
As your father said, you’re an angel Jacob. I feel for you. I feel for Russell. Both of you are touching others and resonating a powerful message. A message I felt in my soul.
God rest wee Jacobs soul. Absolutly heart breaking. Ive took on board what you have said here. wish you and your family all the healing power in the world.
One pilot to another, few men would or could further a lost son's legacy better than to admit a mistake. Given the example of you sir, we all will miss what your son would have grown to be. The wound will never heal but you must survive for the rest of your family and Jacob's memory!
Mr Jeter - your strength is amazing. Godspeed Jacob
Thank you for having the courage to share this horrible story with us. May it stick in my head and come to light one day when I'm too fatigued to fly myself.
Mr. Jeter,
My sincere condolences Sir. You are a brave man and good man and I continue to keep you and your family in my prayers. God Bless...
My heartfelt condolences to you and your family Russ. Thank you for sharing and making me a better pilot through your story. As a believer, I just want to say that I'll be praying for you and your family to find comfort from the grief. My heart aches with you friend. Phil in Alaska
This is much different than the usual of this series IMO. Focus was not on landing on water but the grief of the lost son.
Thank you for sharing Russ and the Jeter Family.
Truly Heart breaking..Worst nightmare for a parent.. I will keep you all in my prayers.
As others have said, your courage in making this video and the self examination it documents, is heroic. I have had a love of flying that I've never been able to take beyond being a commercial passenger. As a long term sufferer of depression I can assure you that the toll it takes on you is hidden and insideous. I think that by working with the human factors specialist you've stumbled upon a serious problem that few pilots face. If someone had told you, don't fly solo or PIC for 90 days after the loss of a loved one, you probably would have listened. This would be the lesson I take away from this. Grief, depression and the physiological manifestations of that(I'm writing you at 4am!) are frequently underestimated.
I hope you find a "peace" with this.
Grounded in Kirkland
Brilliant narration. Wonderful. Top notch. Thank you for sharing to pilot and his colleagues also.
Thank you Russ for sharing your heart breaking experience I can tell by reading the other comments that you touched a lot of other pilot's and made them safer pilot's. Also I am very sorry for your loss. Also keep flying I believe Jacob would want you to. And even though you can't see him he is right there with you.
Dear Russ, it must have been very difficult to have made this video but the aviation world is a safer place because of videos like this one. Thank you and God bless you and your family for your strength, love, integrity and compassion. You are quite right - Jacob is VERY proud of you! Love and prayers from England.
I can’t imagine the emotional pain of losing your child. Thank you for having the grace and humility to make this video. I has enormous impact on my flying decisions. God bless.
Mr. Jeter, Thank You.
Your son is proud of you as are we all. Much love.
I truly hope two years on has eased your pain. I admire you greatly for sharing this information to help reduce the risk of something similar happening in the future. As for the trolls, hard to believe someone could be as cruel to you, I can only imagine they are in pain too. You may never fully accept this but the human condition causes mistakes, most don’t come with such a heavy price tag. I nearly lost a son due to forgetting to put the rear safety lock on the car. I went round a corner and the door flew open, he very nearly fell out. I’m sure there are thousands of incidents like that. You seem the type of guy who would forgive a parent for making a mistake like that, I urge you to use that same compassion on yourself. Forgive yourself...... We all have.
that was chilling. Thank you for sharing your story. It is so easy to shrug off accidents to human errors and from there to pure statistics, but the reality is: Every case number is a tragedy leaving a hole in a community. Yet: life is marching on and all we can to is to work an a better further for those we care for. Thank you.
Wow, I have been thinking about resuming flying. Then watching this, I realize my daughters and my wife will eventually fly with me and I think of little mistakes I make once in a while. I am very sorry for your loss Russ. Thank you for sharing
I'm absolutely gutted, Russ. I pray for healing for you and your family. Thank you for the courage to share this.