Update: The thumbnail for the video has been updated to include a photo of Philip that was verified by another source after the video was made. This was one of the most research-intensive debriefs that I've covered on this channel. Thank you all for your continued support on the channel and Patreon! Here's another debrief of a flight instructor that got his student killed: th-cam.com/video/r_zY0BSklAE/w-d-xo.html
@@aidenwrenn5342ditto: There needs to be a way for students and aircraft owners to check the valid certifications of pilots before they take a ride or rent their aircraft.
Keith was my cousin. Our family is devastated, learning about the gross negligence of the instructor and the incompatence of the FAA and NTSB surrounding this accident. I want to THANK YOU for taking the time to investigate and explain the details to help us understand the magnitude of what happened. Most important, thank you for taking a moment in your video to remember Keith. ❤️
Dont say negligence of the instructor because he was not. He cheated into being one. Sorry for your loss. We come here to learn about air safety but its rare that a family member posts in the section. I am always saddened when I think of the dreams shattered and relationships broken and the void thats left behind by the person gone.
I interviewed several CFIs and 2 flight schools. The first CFI I interviewed was insulted that I had the audacity to interview him. He was arrogant and cocky. I scratched him from my list. The next guy never showed up at the school at the time we agreed. The third was my instructor, Dave Marino, He was on time, open to my questions and even allowed me to talk to his other students. He explained his teaching methods. Safety was paramount at all times. He was a “by the book” CFI. One time I went to the hanger to fly but I had a lot on my mind and Dave noticed I wasn’t my normal self. We did not fly that day. We sat in the hanger and went over book knowledge. He is now flying heavies for someone and I hope to see him again
It's the old Tywin Lannister saying: "Any man who must say I am the king is no true king" People who think too much of themselves are seldom what they are.
@@Burncsb Another story about the arrogant CFI. We were sitting in the hanger with the door open eating hamburgers and drinking a few cold ones (No we were not flying) This CFI (no he was not drinking) took a 16 year old for a discovery flight. This kids mother was sitting with us and asking questions. When the kid and this CFI landed the CFI got out and stormed past us cursing. He retrieved a roll of paper towels and spray cleaning. In front of his mom and everyone he said . “Fuckin kid puke all over the place” and met this poor kid as he got out of the 172. He handed the paper towels and cleaner to the kid and said “You clean it” Immediately the owner of the school got up and said “Go home, now” We cleaned the cockpit for the kid. The mom wanted to help and we said it’s ok. The CFI quit and moved to Alaska…
McPherson was charged with involuntary manslaughter earlier this month (Aug 2024), and 40 other charges that could land him in prison for 128 yrs (max) depending on consecutive or concurrent sentencing. He was a train wreck waiting to happen. Two other accidents before this one! Scary dude. Poor Keith, R.I.P. He was failed by McPherson and the FFA. So was the flight school.
Political correctness caused this tragedy just as much as anything else. They drill it into people's heads never to "judge a book by its cover" but this requires completely ignoring objective facts about certain groups of people.
Could you imagine going to get a checkride only to find out your training money was wasted because you're instructor wasn't a legal instructor?? Even worse,to lose your life and that scumbag lives.....
Would that affect your status as a student pilot though? Even if the guy legally wasn't an instructor at the time, you still completed the training and all other requirements to qualify for your checkride. Though in the circumstances I can imagine the flight school might want another instructor to assess your level of competence before letting you take the checkride. Kinda worrying though that the guy failed a checkride doing take-offs and go-arounds, with 600+ hours under his belt..
@@kaasmeester5903 I don't know how things are done in the US or aviation in general, but usually if it is discovered that your instructor wasn't certified, it means that all the training you received by that instructor is voided. You should have a case with the flight school to reimburse you/get re-trained, but you would still have to redo all the classes done with that specific instructor.
@kaasmeester5903 the gentleman who responded to you is correct. If the instructor is not legal and valid, none of the endorsements he gave you are legal and valid, and none of the flight time you flew with him is legal or valid. I would imagine you have a very strong case for a lawsuit to the school. However, that doesn't help you as far as your career. The only good thing is you have all that experience and knowledge, so when you go to another school and instructor, it should be a lot easier for you to go do it again. I don't work for the faa, but I am a pilot. If I'm incorrect in any of that, someone let me know. But that's my understanding. One more thing I'd like to add, when an instructor signs a student off to go for a check ride, they are saying that that student is fully qualified and capable of passing that check ride. They can actually have their own qualifications affected if that is, in fact, untrue. That doesn't mean if you fail the check ride, your instructor is going to lose his license. But if you were so woefully unprepared that it was clear you were never even close to being able to take the check ride, then it could. Their judgment as a pilot and instructor would then be questioned. I don't know exactly the steps to FAA would take in handling that but I know they could absolutely face some consequences
I worked at a flight school and thank God the owner was on top of making sure every pilot and aircraft was safe. She would say “if I wouldn’t put my family in the aircraft or with the pilot , I’m not putting our customers there”. I learned a lot from her.
Not notifying the flight school at any point over the course of many interactions between the FAA and Phillip just makes zero sense to me. As a current PPL student, that just diminishes my confidence in the organizations responsible for our safety.
The FAA has lots of problems. Also, never equate rules, regulations, airworthiness, etc with safety. This was highlighted in the Presidential Commission report on the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. A safety culture makes things safe not strict adherence to rules. Sorry, FAA, if you're listening. Finally, you are responsible for your own safety not someone else even if there are regulations that theoretically put the onus somewhere else.
I don't think we know if the flight school was notified. They might be complicit in the whole thing. Any competent flight school that takes their responsibilities seriously would realise they had an instructor that was lacking in basic skills before it got to the point of the FAA taking their certificate away.
Hey Hoover. I'm a retired Medico-Legal investigator, and a fan of your channel. You did one hell of a great job investigative journalism on this incident. When you retire from commercial aviation, the NTSB could use a guy like you.
Bizarrely enough drunk drivers tend to survive crashes at a higher rate because their bodies are less rigid during the crash-they don’t tense up. It’s a weird cosmic unfairness
Keith was a great friend to me as i was growing up. I went to school with his younger brother Kevin. RIP my man ! Edit: Hoover, thanks for explaining the incident. Ive wanted to ask his brother Kevin the details but didnt think it was approriate. Im just learning all of these details now and this has me feeling rage inside !
Once again you have produced a very respectful analysis from which we can all learn and hopefully improve flight safety. Thank you and keep up the great work.
As a nurse, I renew my nurse's license every two years. To do this I have to have 30 continuing education units (CEU's) and my CPR renewal course. If this is absolutely not done, I can't work. And there is a website so that ANYONE can look to see if my license is valid. And I do mean anyone---- my patient's families, my nursing company, and the just curious.
What I appreciate about you, Hoover, and your channel is you don't interrupt your videos talking about sponsors. I don't recall you sponsoring any outside businesses, only your merch store (which is fair, since that's your personal brand). This shows that you're passionate about aviation and sharing awareness of the various mistakes that pilots have made in the past. It's about making future aviators better and not about the money. Thank you.
Hate to warn you that you’ll probably see maybe 1 sponsored video a month going forward. Making these videos and running the channel has become a full time job. I’ll keep it as minimally intrusive as possible.
@@pilot-debriefDon't mind that last comment, sponsored videos are perfectly fine and don't mean that you're not doing this because you want to do good. We know you care.
@@pilot-debriefNo objection to you doing sponsored bits! Do what you gotta do, while it'd be nice to donate all your time for free, that's just not a realistic expectation!
This is an asinine take. Just because someone gets sponsored doesn't suddenly equate to them being fake or not passionate about a craft. People need money to live. If it bothers you that much, just move your cursor a couple of inches to the part of the video that skips it. Maybe toss out your broken, cheap moral compass while you're at it too.
Sadly, in the 'free and proud' U.S.of A. have you- has ANYONE EVER seen ANY FEDERAL entity truly admit fault or even error in/for ANYTHING•?! As we've seen it for decades, the 'F' obviously represents 'FAILURE'😢
It seen as more of a crime to disqualify a blk male for incompetence than it is to kill innocent people. Never allow blk person to hold your life in their hands.
By design from the U.S. Congress many federal agencies are less about draconian control and enforcement and more about regulations, advisories, and logging evidence. The FAA is not the FBI or CIA.
So now, technically, every student and every hour in their logbook that he endorsed a flight for is no longer valid. Those students now need to have a revision done on their currency, and they would either by lawsuit be able to sue the school for the cost of the flight, that was not legal since there was no legal instructor to endorse any dual, Any solo, x-crty, night or any other instructor endorsement requirement for a student pilot to fly and be able to meet the requirements for their check rides. If he was teaching a pilot to become a commercial pilot then, all those hours also would be invalid as would any BFR. What a mess!
8/11/2024 - I Believe that a United States District Court would have discretion to straighten out this mess, and issue an order validating what appears to be invalid training and certificates issued on account of McPherson misrepresenting his status as a certified flight instructor.
@@lawpilot8526 however it happens hopefully the FAA will be prodded into updating their databases quickly and scrubbing out invalid CFIs like this case
@AndrewGrey22check out the situation from a year ago when a DPE didn’t keep their CFI certificate valid. FAA pulled all certs and ratings for all of his checkrides going back years. Same thing will likely happen here. All endorsements and sign offs will be invalid.
This story is so sad. What a shame that this young man had to lose his life because of the blatant negligence of this guy Philip. I sure hope he's in prison because this is absolutely "criminal".
@@ClearedAsFiledhe won’t be held responsible bc of his skin color. If this guy was white non of this would have happened. He would have been in prison after the second incident.
This story is not only heartbreaking but very alarming as well. I just came across your channel Hoover and you have some terrific, investigative content. Good grief, I didn't realize how much pilot/human error there is in small plane accidents. Thank you.
I found this debrief intensely disquieting. I'm so disappointed in both the FAA and the NTSB. Especially the NTSB for "phoning it in" [the final report]. I hope the lead investigator gets remediation or reassigned. When you got to the charges brought, it was such a relief. I hit me yesterday that being a professional pilot is every bit if not MORESO carrying a life and death responsibility equivalent to doctors who are required to go thru intensive training and residencies with constant supervision. How are there so many holes in this process to obtain a competancy measure[license]?
This is no more heart breaking that the way Department of Motor Vehicle operates in each state. They give little kids a license to race around with a 7,000 lb pick up truck, frequently full of kids and all full of beer or some other intoxicant. Lose on the roadways full of other vehicles after one half hour ride with an examiner. It's rediculous.
What on earth should the report have said that it did not? The NTSB is there to identify the cause of the accident, which they concluded was in this case a loss of engine power. Their job is not to level accusations or assign blame beyond the merely factual. Other bodies within the FAA deal with enforcement and are the finders of fact regarding culpability.
It was probably on legal advice. Lawyers generally advise against speaking to law enforcement/regulators since it usually only serves to get you into more trouble. Providing a written statement of your own is much safer.
Incidents like this really make me angry. As a student pilot you must be able to rely on a current and experienced instructor with all the required certificates…. Very sad
@@ericvadekro8334 A very good student pilot can usually tell if an instructor knows what he/she is doing correctly. I’ve had a few look like they earned their CFI with cereal box tops!
Also alarming the NTSB report didn't question take off distance / performance AND assumed Philip was qualified simply because he said so. What sort of 'investigation' is that for goodness sake?
From the Justice Department website: "PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Philip Everton McPherson II, 36, of Haddon Township, NJ, was charged by indictment with one count of involuntary manslaughter and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate, in connection with a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot."...."If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 128 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, a $10.25 million fine, and a $4,100 special assessment. " This happened August 5, 2024.
Your calm well balanced presentation of the facts is a pleasure to listen to. A refreshing change from the overdramatic, repetitive presentation of so many modern documentaries. I am from the UK and have limited interest in aviation but enjoy your channel.
A long time ago a new FAA Inspector was giving a line check to an Eastern Airlines crew. He pulled out his cheat sheet and started at the top. Licenses and medicals at which point the senior Captain stated he did not have a valid license. He had been the winner of FAA safety awards as a pilot at Eastern but only had a private. The FAA sweep the incident under the carpet and issued him an ATP with several type ratings. After that every Fed I flew with ask to see my certificate and medical first thing.
Okay, Hoover: you should do a presentation on vetting out the chosen flight school and Flight Instructor before the first lesson! As a student pilot many years ago, and having subsequent reviews and training flights, I have never questioned the School or CFI. However, after viewing that you have revealed the unacceptable FAA and Flight School lapses in competency; we need to protect ourselves! Thanks Hoover.
I certainly think that the flight school should be responsible for monitoring the instructors who they employ. If I go into hospital, I don't expect to have to check that the doctors who they employ are qualified.
@@charlescz1974 It is a difficult situation, they do not have the staff to monitor every flying school. If they spent hours following up on admin, they would start failing in their real purpose. The problem is, that unlike driving, they do not have the police in the middle to link it all up.
I really appreciate your channel. I hope that all the info you give will save lives, and I appreciate the respect and honor you give to the memory of those who have tragically died.
Another brilliant video. In the Mid90s when I was getting my pilot license, the thing I did not do and didn’t know to do was to research the flight school. About a year later when I had an engine explosion at 800 feet pointed up, we later found the reason was the A&P that the flight school hired used Shortcuts the wrong tools and accessories to fix the engine that day. The flight school owner also owned gas stations and had zero interest in the integrity of that flight school. It was all about finding the cheapest way possible to keep his small little fleet flying, which meant, lousy mechanics. I still remember seeing that guy work on the plane out of the backseat of his station wagon where he kept everything. That should’ve been a red flag right then and there.
The reality of flying is that nobody ever checks any one's pilot license. Not once at any FBO, ramp or hangar has anyone ever asked to see my pilots license.
So I could walk in, in a pilot outfit, and tell them that I'm new, and they'd just go with it? You're telling me another Frank Abignale could just walk in and start flying something?
@@davecrupel2817 Well... no. You're going to need your own plane. If you want to work as a pilot, the company is going to want to see your license. Similarly, if you want to rend a plane, they will want to see your licence. In both cases it is also common that you directly demonstrate your abilities, rather than just relying on the licence. Once you are in a position to fly a plane, though, nobody is going to check again.
@@davecrupel2817 While Abagnale impersonated a pilot to fly in jump-seats, it's not thought he ever took the controls of any of the airliners he flew in.
There are good people in the FAA, and a few not so good. I know from experience that the FAA would like to reform these types of things but Congress has repeatedly failed to give them the funding needed to staff up and adequartely train personnel. And I didn't work for the FAA.
Like all organizations,public, private , religious, governmental,etc.there always a few incompetent individuals. Remember,the US FAA is still the standard that all developed nations aspire to. In this case the agency appears to have fulfilled their processes and procedures,which is all we can ask. One of the big issues they have is the lack of qualified people applying for positions.
Every government letter agency is an incompetent organization. They have a vested interest in gathering as much power as possible and there are no checks and balances for any of em
Yep odd but I googled my name too and nothing shows. Probably has private social medias or none at all. Though I’m surprised no booking photo of him either
@@yamatomusashi1412 I no nothing about aviation. But I just did a quick look at this youtube channel. Pilot Debrief looks rock solid. Not some random idiot posting nonsense. I trust him. And I'd bet money that it's not fake.
Bro, you been doing these debrief's all these years, and you are still as raw as you ever were. You get emotional about thing's that could have changed the outcome of a lot of these tragedies. Your genuine concern is refreshing and is kind of shocking compared to how most people react. Thanks for making every story personal and important. Truth matters. Many Thanks.
I read about this in my local newspaper this past week (The Morning Call) since the “instructor” was finally charged. This was an accident that never should have happened. Thanks for going over this one Hoover. This one hit close to home for me, literally and figuratively and serves as a reminder that you really do need to do deep research when picking an instructor.
I m not a pilot, but I really enjoy the debriefs you do. You are very kind in dealing with pilot error story. Great work. My dad was a F86 pilot during Korean war time , but not in the war.
Disgusting...I hope Keith's family sues EVERYONE who has any culpability in this fraud, including the FAA/NTSB. And if I were a student pilot and heard this story I would loose all faith in the FAA and flight schools at that point. Not sure I'd even continue unless I could somehow guarantee my own safety from this kind of fraud.
The alternative of being molested before you can fly is worse. Ask to see their license, that would have prevented this. My biggest regret was not going up in a glider when I was young. ughh, why when I can work on my multi engine.... . 5 decades later, I regretted not flying a glider. The challenge of just you against gravity.
They could sue the FAA but not the NTSB. The NTSB only investigates accidents after the fact, the FAA is the only one with the authority to license and make regulations. NTSB only make recommendations on policy changes but the FAA has the final say. And NTSB reports are inadmissible as evidence in any court proceedings to prevent the agency and/or investigators from having any sort of potential bias.
@@smzig You could put it down to homeland security FAILURE. It is their job to make sure the info gets from one agency to the other where it can be acted on.
@@haywoodyoudome idk about that-no mug shot, but the abnormalities in prior reporting and even the investigation seems rife with efforts to make the GA community "stronger".
My God the poor student. He wasn't just failed by the "flight instructor" but by the flying school and even more so by the FAA. I hope this tragedy has proved a valuable lesson that the FAA must follow up any inability of an instructor with the flying school he is working from, and the database needs updating possibly monthly. You're right Hoover, this is certainly one of the most harrowing stories you have ever told. Thanks for doing this channel though your valuable insight means mistakes SHOULD be noted and learnt from.
@@KimtheElder That's the thing though. He DID have a flight instructor license. The FAA failed to confiscate it due to bureaucratic oversight allowing him to walk around with essentially a loophole that would appear to be valid.
Hey Todd, nice to see you here. I hope all is well with you. This story is a tragedy, and it seems like this man has no business being in aviation. J.B.
A very long time ago I got my ratings... Private, commercial, Multi-engine, Instrument, seaplane. It never once occurred to me to ask any instructor for his credentials. I guess I just assumed no one would ever violate that kind of thing.
Look at a pile of Blancolirio videos and study in general the accident frequency of small planes. If you're not in FL or the desert southwest, just DON'T learn to fly.....please. if I knew then what I know now in this YT age, I wouldn't have learned to fly. UNLESS YOUR INTENTION IS SOLELY TO GET $200 HAMBURGERS ON SEVERE CLEAR DAYS.
@@jeffferguson4632 thanks for the warning but my reasons are nothing you mentioned. I'm not in Florida or the Southwest. Would you rather I learn with a 737 rather than a small plane? I don't know where you're coming from but it's apparent you didn't have what it takes so please... please... please don't fly again and try not to get into other people's face because they are trying to achieve a goal.
I think a good instructor would like that. idk about flying, but it seems like paper work and procedures are pretty important, so trust but verify might get you off on the right foot. Show that you're conscientious about the formalities.
NTSB: “Immediately provide a statement on this crash.” McPherson: “No”. NTSB: “Fine, all licenses and flying privileges are suspended until you provide a statement. We’ve advised your employer and here’s a hearing date for a full investigatory discussion.”
@@tomk8663 It's disturbing how few people understand the difference between the NTSB and the FAA. NTSB is not a law enforcement agency and has no regulatory authority.
Based on this assessment. The family should sue the FAA. It’s sounds like the instructor and the FAA both failed in there duties which lead to the death of a student pilot who was unaware of the danger he was in flying with this instructor.
@@sludge8506 You don't have to hold a law degree to discuss matters of law in a TH-cam comments section in the same way you don't have to be an M.D. to discuss the benefits of exercise. That being said, the family of the victim would have a better chance at any meaningful monetary compensation by playing the lottery than they would suing the FAA.
Thank you for your Pilot Debriefs. It has been years since I have flown but I still learn from your program. Also thank you for telling it like it is by calling a spade a spade (telling the truth).
I agree with every single word that you said, Hoover. I went back and forth with someone commenting on Tom Milican's channel. They just couldn't seem to grasp that McPherson was breaking the law, should have never been in that plane and should've recognized an engine that wasn't performing optimally. He was in the wrong all the way around, and if he was charging for CFI services, he was guilty of fraud as well. Thanks for the great vids.
Not really. Despicable person, yes. The misrepresentation that he was a flight instructor wasn't the cause of the accident, though, and the accident was clearly unintentional. Life in prison for incompetence, and nobody will dare to be a paramedic or such anymore. Not ever social problem can be solved by prison time.
@@Evanstonian60201 The misrepresentation was not the cause of this cause but it allowed the whole crash. There' no reason that these two people had been in the same plane at the same time without faking the instructor status.
@@Evanstonian60201 It leaves incompetence status when he willfully flies without a license and dodges/lies to the FAA . If a paramedic gives 20 people heart attacks from wrong medication and just goes "whoopsie doodle" yes they should be jailed.
McPherson was arrested at his home in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 5. He pled not guilty to all the charges and was released the same day after posting a $50,000 bond and surrendering his passport. If convicted he could face a maximum possible sentence of 128 years in prison and a $10.25 million fine, and a $4,100 special assessment. He has been assigned a public defender.
“Failed multiple practical exams”. Bloody hell- during my FORTY YEAR commercial flying career I NEVER failed a practical exam. This guy should have been completely grounded.
I can understand failing your commercial or instrument checks. Those are difficult, some don’t get it first try, whatever. But there’s absolutely no reason to be failing a go-around procedure with how many hours he had. In a Cherokee you literally just add power, fly runway heading, pitch up, and retract flaps as airspeed permits.
@@jaredcook7275 Blacks can't recognize themselves in the mirror until they are 6 years old. Humans can do it at 2 months. You are not dealing with fellow humans.
Thank you very much Hoover for this very informative and shocking report! Hope the FAA and the fly shools listen attentive to you. Condolences to the familie of the victim.
This crash hit home with me. I learned to fly at Queen City Airport in 1968. I soloed at 6 hours. I took off on Runway 25 and a small thunderstorm moved over the airport as I was climbing out. The stall warning was flickering. I came around the pattern and slipped and crabbed to land in a full crosswind landing. I got my private pilot license in October 1968. My flight instructor was Don Cameron. I found out later Don was a Captain for Air Canada. He was flying a Boeing 727 enroute to Toronto. There was an inflight fire at altitude and Don struggled to land in a Kentucky airport. Half of the passengers died in the fire. Don was dragged out the pilot window.
Did I hear this correctly... The so-called "flight instructor" unnecessarily goaded Keith into taking this flight, even though he really did not need to take it? RIP, Keith.
Please keep us informed on this one. in the original court case the defence said McPherson did everything with safety in mind but that's clearly rubbish if he is going around pretending to be a flight instructor and if he didn't do a proper briefing prior to take off - he shouldn't have been looking for places to put the plane, he should have known where to put the plane or at least had a damn good idea.
@@gdwnet The defense. During sentencing there are "aggravating factors" that can increase a penalty and "mitigating circumstances" that can reduce a penalty. The defense always tries to introduce mitigating circumstances as early as possible so they'll be cemented into the narrative.
@@Cautionary_Tale_Harris _The defense always tries to introduce mitigating circumstances_ Sure but wouldn't disclosure mean they'd have to disclose the fact this statement come out during his first plane crash?
@@gdwnet Not necessarily. The defense could argue that it would prejudice a jury against the defendant. *The prosecution* could possibly bring up those other incidents as long as the judge allowed it. But I would bet the judge will not allow the prosecutor to bring up *why* he didn't have a license, only *that* he didn't have a license. I said in another comment that if I were an unscrupulous defense lawyer in this case, I would push to a trial and then play the jury like a fiddle. Edit to add "unscrupulous" For clarity, I am not a lawyer. I just know enough about the legal system to understand what tends to work and what is less likely to work.
Trent Palmer should have accepted his punishment because he was obviously in the wrong. It's not the FAA's fault that the entitled brat wouldn't accept their completely justified decision. If Palmer hasn't been wasting their resources on his trivial crap maybe Kozel would be alive.
I had an instructor recently that misread my logbook and asked me to repeat a lesson that I’d never done before, then asked me to make an overhead join that I’d never done before, on the final approach he asked me to reconfigure the aircraft in a way I’d never done before. I couldn’t cope, I was so stressed, I hit the throttle and went around. I never flew with him again, asked for my money back and passed my GST a few weeks later with a different instructor. It’s your money don’t waste it on an instructor that doesn’t get you!
OMG, how awful! This is the most tragic story you've covered. I'm shocked how and why this pretend instructor was able to fly. I'm devastated for Keith and his family.
90% of people won't say anything out of fear of losing their job, being ostracized, or, in extreme cases, going to prison. And I forgot to mention the possible physical dangers.
It's strange how I couldn't find one picture of the fake flight instructor ANYWHERE. Thanks for including his picture in the thumbnail. Definitely seems like a criminal and this should have NEVER happened. This makes you really lose trust in flight instructors and that is a shame.
Man, this channel makes me second-guess wanting to get my pilot's license. My father was a helicopter pilot and plane pilot and I've always wanted to get mine. I got to fly as a kid with him before he passed away.
I started flight training in helicopters. It is expensive, and the required maintenance is far more involved than airplanes. Sadly, one of the aircraft I had logged a bunch of hours in took two lives when the mechanic didn't put it back together properly and the flight instructor who was pilot-in-command for that flight did not properly execute an autorotation. There are reputable flight schools and flight instructors, but there are also bad ones for each, and as a student pilot one does not know enough to be able to properly analyze whether the school or instructor is decent.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a dangerous hobby, but most of the danger is going to come from within. It’s not like motorcycles where the biggest danger is other drivers. You do everything right in a plane, you will likely go a lifetime without an incident. You screw up, the consequences can be fatal. You are the biggest factor. Always perform thorough pre-flight inspections, always do your before takeoff checks, always follow SOPs, always get a weather briefing, never exceed your personal limitations, etc.
QUESTION: Hello Hoover, I started watching a bunch of your vids a few days ago and am flabbergasted by the level of abject ineptitude that currently exist in the airline industry and it has me wondering……what is the percentage of human error vs. mechanical error in the commercial, and private, and military aspects of the airline industry. ?!?!? GREAT, informative, thought provoking vids BTW, keep up the great work.
Actually, it's the lack of government red tape that contributed to this tragedy. The FAA has been underfunded and understaffed for as long as I can remember. That means more holes in the swiss cheese. If you want to blame the "government," blame Congress for not providing the funding resources needed to prevent this sort of thing.
@nedflanders3769 I don't know what the FAA could have done differently in this case. He was accused of being unworthy of holding a PPL, the FAA checked him and agreed. He gave up his PPL and was given essentially a Learner's License. If I lose my driver's license but some Mickey Mouse driver's education school still hires me as an instructor, I don't see how the DMV is supposed to intervene. Or expected to intervene.
@@Cautionary_Tale_Harristhe company employing him should have been advised by the FAA of the status change, but they also should have a process in place to regularly check their employees license status. This is not complicated, nor is it red tape. In respect of driver licenses, some countries allow businesses access to check the license status of their employees regularly. Regardless, if licenses are key to employees doing their job, failing to monitor their status is a ridiculous risk to take.
Phillip shouldn't be the only person held accountable. I think those in charge of revoking his license and updating whatever database reflecting the revocation should be held accountable as well. Keith and his family were failed at multiple stages by multiple people, not just one.
Former Naval Flight Officer. I had absolute confidence flying with Naval Aviators and USAF Pilots and crew/interservice. I did some civilian flying and some of the CFI's were ...not of the highest quality in terms of knowledge but more importantly in my opinion 'temperament.' Not meant as a knock to civilians...just my experience alone.
There are some amazing civilian CFI’s out there. Unfortunately this yahoo wasn’t one of them. The issue I believe is there are so many flight schools with different approaches and procedures on teaching basic flying skills. The Military has one standard and you must meet that or you fail. To much variation in instruction to produce a standard.
wow, its almost like the military doesnt want morons crashing their multi million/ billion dollar aircraft, the US Navy isnt flying a biplane over farm fields, not anymore at least. obviously the standards are different
Good to hear prosecutors are finally investigating! However, there should be a separate investigation into the FAA's failures in ensuring this guy didnt instruct/fly again and that the flight school was properly notified.
6:28. His attorney's letter stated that he applied the correct crosswind procedures by applying full RIGHT aileron, and RIGHT rudder. This is not correct crosswind technique, as any pilot knows. The correct technique in this case would have been RIGHT aileron to use the vertical component of lift to stop drifting left, and LEFT rudder to keep the fuselage aligned with the runway.
Maybe I misheard the video but I think he was referring to trying to keep the aircraft on the runway after touchdown in which case Right rudder + right aileron would have been the proper technique
@@TheBubno if there is crosswind from the right of the aircraft, the wind hits the vertical stabiliser of the aircraft, pushing it left, and since the vertical stabiliser is very aft of the aircraft, the stabiliser being pushed left rotates the front of the aircraft to the right. The pilot should counteract this with left rudder, not right. Im not a pilot or anything but thats my limited understanding of why pilots put left rudder when crosswind is coming from the right
@@xchomphk.9788 If the right crosswind is pushing you further left after touchdown you absolutely do not want to add left rudder as that will just blow you off the runway
@@TheBubno the right crosswind will push your tail to the left, pushing your nose to the right. You want your nose to be pointing down the centreline once the plane touches down because regardless of how strong the crosswind is the planes tires would fix the direction the plane is moving, in the same way a car's tires fix direction cars travel in so drivers dont have to worry about wind blowing their car off the road
Where did you get the photo of Philip Everton McPherson II from the thumbnail? When I google his name, I cannot find any picture of him. I wonder why...
Thank you for pointing out the problems in the system, and not just the story of the individual. The system should work to prevent a malicious individual from endangering others.
The primary stated mission of the FAA per its charter is to PROMOTE the US aviation industry. Safety is a secondary issue. Why else would the FAA have delayed grounding the Boeing 737 Max planes operated in the US way longer than other aviation regulatory agencies in other countries??? 🤨
There are pilots who also have a CDL. It's a whole lot easier to pull over a commercial vehicle for an inspection. Also, there are far greater numbers of officers with the USDOT, state DOT, and local law enforcement than there are FSDO officers.
Agreed. As a commercial pilot and a Cdl A holder with well over 2 million miles the aviation industry feels more like the Wild West while the FMSCA is so restrictive these days.
@@abebuckingham8198 What the FAA says on their website isn’t necessarily what is written in the laws written by Congress and enacted into the laws creating and sustaining its existence.
I got my certificate in 2014. Never failed a test or check ride then or since. It seems insane to me that someone starting 5 years later could be in the position of teaching other students. Lay the facts of this story over the top of that and it is a truly appalling indictment of the FAA, the NTSB, and the current state of flight training.
Since people can flight instruct right out of flight school and many do to build up hours to fly for the airlines I don't see whats so "insane". In fact pretty much every airline pilot has done it that way unless they came in from the military
Black pilots fly DAILY. This one isn't vetted well and isn't a great person....now it's just blacks....like they crash all these planes. It's a LITANY of videos on TH-cam of crash stories and situations...that aren't black. People are trash....and for some reason can't hold Individuals responsible for their individual actions.
Hoover - please keep us updated on the Involuntary Manslaughter charge - Mr McLaughlin hasn’t got a leg to stand on and deserves to go to jail for a very long time - the FAA need to held accountable too - for gross Negligence 😢😢😢 RIP Keith Kozel
There is a reason why there is no photo available. We all know the demographics of this person and that's the reason why they let this slide. It would be considered "racist" if they tried to stop him.
As much as any of us blank people that are watching this video are I’m sure in agreeance, he should be under the prison; but it always seems to be people of your demographic that cry about our demographic of people bringing up something about racism when it’s always y’all, stfu and watch the video. Plenty of crimes don’t produce photos of the assailant so again stfu and just watch the video
Google and the news is full of black men, and women, pictures being arrested or mug shots. Why was this particular black man being protected according to you? Or was it just that he did not have reporters around when he was arrested? Or someone didn't post his mug shot? You see this type of stuff under every bush, huh?
How did this man even get a job im blown away they would hire him. Why did they not check his background? My condolences to the family. Rest In Peace Keith.
If you check certain boxes, you can literally walk into almost any job. If the job requires a bachelor's degree, you can have a GED and still get hired. If it requires 5 years experience, you can have zero.
@@AshTownsend prove it. It's so easy to type 3 letters. The same that get thrown around daily, most often with no proof. Seems like this individual wasn't vetted well enough. Its just a bad situation or bad person.....unless it's someone who is not part of the majority. In that case....black black black....DEI.
FAA is covering their asses . Afraid of a lawsuit. Covering up their incompetence . Goes to show that you have to watch out for yourself when your own life is on the line, ie back ground checks etc.
The FAA has no reason to be afraid of a lawsuit. The Federal Tort Claims Act is not a particularly broad waiver of sovereign immunity, and even if the FTCA waives immunity in this case the statute of limitations is nearly up.
thorough debrief. ( FRENCH = "remuer ciel et terre" ENG = "leave no stone unturned" ) my compliments on your investigative integrity, good job. your message is crystal clear.
Update: The thumbnail for the video has been updated to include a photo of Philip that was verified by another source after the video was made.
This was one of the most research-intensive debriefs that I've covered on this channel. Thank you all for your continued support on the channel and Patreon!
Here's another debrief of a flight instructor that got his student killed: th-cam.com/video/r_zY0BSklAE/w-d-xo.html
You have definitely convinced me now but to fly. Or at least only fly with you 😊
Sounds like you're getting increasingly annoyed with the FAA and NTSB as well?
@@matthew-jy5jpor: we learn to check for all the red flags we learn about here on Hoover's channel and be safer.
From what I've seen of your most excellent videos there seems to be grounds to question the fitness for purpose of the FAA and NTSB.
@@aidenwrenn5342ditto: There needs to be a way for students and aircraft owners to check the valid certifications of pilots before they take a ride or rent their aircraft.
Keith was my cousin. Our family is devastated, learning about the gross negligence of the instructor and the incompatence of the FAA and NTSB surrounding this accident. I want to THANK YOU for taking the time to investigate and explain the details to help us understand the magnitude of what happened. Most important, thank you for taking a moment in your video to remember Keith. ❤️
Sorry for your loss. I went to school with Kevin and hung out with Keith for years. Im just now finally learning the story.
Thank you. Keith was a great guy and it was a huge loss. We all grew up together, I'm still here in NE Pennsylvania.
I’m so sorry for you loss Bill.
Regards
From Scotland
Dont say negligence of the instructor because he was not. He cheated into being one.
Sorry for your loss. We come here to learn about air safety but its rare that a family member posts in the section. I am always saddened when I think of the dreams shattered and relationships broken and the void thats left behind by the person gone.
Condolences to your family.
The family should be suing.. 💲💲💲🤬🤬🤬
I interviewed several CFIs and 2 flight schools. The first CFI I interviewed was insulted that I had the audacity to interview him. He was arrogant and cocky. I scratched him from my list. The next guy never showed up at the school at the time we agreed. The third was my instructor, Dave Marino, He was on time, open to my questions and even allowed me to talk to his other students. He explained his teaching methods. Safety was paramount at all times. He was a “by the book” CFI. One time I went to the hanger to fly but I had a lot on my mind and Dave noticed I wasn’t my normal self. We did not fly that day. We sat in the hanger and went over book knowledge. He is now flying heavies for someone and I hope to see him again
If it is meant to be, u will see each other again, after a warm embrace
I used to play football with his older brother Dan
@@Mike-hn4uu Laces out.
It's the old Tywin Lannister saying: "Any man who must say I am the king is no true king"
People who think too much of themselves are seldom what they are.
@@Burncsb Another story about the arrogant CFI. We were sitting in the hanger with the door open eating hamburgers and drinking a few cold ones (No we were not flying) This CFI (no he was not drinking) took a 16 year old for a discovery flight. This kids mother was sitting with us and asking questions. When the kid and this CFI landed the CFI got out and stormed past us cursing. He retrieved a roll of paper towels and spray cleaning. In front of his mom and everyone he said . “Fuckin kid puke all over the place” and met this poor kid as he got out of the 172. He handed the paper towels and cleaner to the kid and said “You clean it” Immediately the owner of the school got up and said “Go home, now” We cleaned the cockpit for the kid. The mom wanted to help and we said it’s ok. The CFI quit and moved to Alaska…
The irony....the man who lied survives and the student dies. Seems so unfair! :-(
Just like drunk drivers 😢
Since when has life been fair?
Welcome to planet earth.
This is why religion was invented to make it fair after death.
@@brucebaxter6923religion wasn't invented 😂, spoken like a true ignorant atheist
@@brucebaxter6923exactly!
Life's unfair, religion is the opium designed to make this sad fact more bearable (for the masses).😊
McPherson was charged with involuntary manslaughter earlier this month (Aug 2024), and 40 other charges that could land him in prison for 128 yrs (max) depending on consecutive or concurrent sentencing. He was a train wreck waiting to happen. Two other accidents before this one! Scary dude. Poor Keith, R.I.P. He was failed by McPherson and the FFA. So was the flight school.
We tried to tell you people.
#FAFO2029
You folks do your due diligence!!
He will be found not guilty. "Dat boi dindu nuffins"
Political correctness caused this tragedy just as much as anything else. They drill it into people's heads never to "judge a book by its cover" but this requires completely ignoring objective facts about certain groups of people.
@@analyticalhabitrails9857what does that mean?
He's black, so they will only give him a slap on the wrist. Sad, but true
Could you imagine going to get a checkride only to find out your training money was wasted because you're instructor wasn't a legal instructor?? Even worse,to lose your life and that scumbag lives.....
Would that affect your status as a student pilot though? Even if the guy legally wasn't an instructor at the time, you still completed the training and all other requirements to qualify for your checkride. Though in the circumstances I can imagine the flight school might want another instructor to assess your level of competence before letting you take the checkride.
Kinda worrying though that the guy failed a checkride doing take-offs and go-arounds, with 600+ hours under his belt..
@@kaasmeester5903 I don't know how things are done in the US or aviation in general, but usually if it is discovered that your instructor wasn't certified, it means that all the training you received by that instructor is voided. You should have a case with the flight school to reimburse you/get re-trained, but you would still have to redo all the classes done with that specific instructor.
@kaasmeester5903 the gentleman who responded to you is correct. If the instructor is not legal and valid, none of the endorsements he gave you are legal and valid, and none of the flight time you flew with him is legal or valid. I would imagine you have a very strong case for a lawsuit to the school. However, that doesn't help you as far as your career. The only good thing is you have all that experience and knowledge, so when you go to another school and instructor, it should be a lot easier for you to go do it again. I don't work for the faa, but I am a pilot. If I'm incorrect in any of that, someone let me know. But that's my understanding.
One more thing I'd like to add, when an instructor signs a student off to go for a check ride, they are saying that that student is fully qualified and capable of passing that check ride. They can actually have their own qualifications affected if that is, in fact, untrue. That doesn't mean if you fail the check ride, your instructor is going to lose his license. But if you were so woefully unprepared that it was clear you were never even close to being able to take the check ride, then it could. Their judgment as a pilot and instructor would then be questioned. I don't know exactly the steps to FAA would take in handling that but I know they could absolutely face some consequences
I passed a check ride only to find out later that the FAA disqualified the DPE. Lost the rating.
@@tomdaley9154 it’s real, not imagined. RIP.
I worked at a flight school and thank God the owner was on top of making sure every pilot and aircraft was safe. She would say “if I wouldn’t put my family in the aircraft or with the pilot , I’m not putting our customers there”. I learned a lot from her.
Great lady, awesome human 👍
Women pilots hahaha
We need more people in the world like her. You absolutely beautiful by the way.
Not notifying the flight school at any point over the course of many interactions between the FAA and Phillip just makes zero sense to me. As a current PPL student, that just diminishes my confidence in the organizations responsible for our safety.
The FAA has lots of problems. Also, never equate rules, regulations, airworthiness, etc with safety. This was highlighted in the Presidential Commission report on the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. A safety culture makes things safe not strict adherence to rules. Sorry, FAA, if you're listening. Finally, you are responsible for your own safety not someone else even if there are regulations that theoretically put the onus somewhere else.
I don't think we know if the flight school was notified. They might be complicit in the whole thing. Any competent flight school that takes their responsibilities seriously would realise they had an instructor that was lacking in basic skills before it got to the point of the FAA taking their certificate away.
You're flying at your own peril, so it's up to you eventually to know as much as possible so you don't end up in pieces.
FAA is .. just a government organisation, there is no consequences for them if they don't do their job. just look at how they treated Boeing.
I joined a club and learned through a couple CFIs there rather than a school.
This video needs more views, justice needs to be served. RIP Keith
Hey Hoover. I'm a retired Medico-Legal investigator, and a fan of your channel. You did one hell of a great job investigative journalism on this incident. When you retire from commercial aviation, the NTSB could use a guy like you.
I second that motion and call for a vote!
I would not like Hoover investigating my mistakes.
I bet they could!
I think in an earlier episode Hoover mentioned he had retired from flying because of health related issues.
Government aviation agencies wouldn’t have Hoover. He’d is too efficient.
There is a dirty underbelly in flight instruction that the industry refuses to talk about. Thank you, Hoover for shining a light into this.
My physics professor in college gave flight lessons to pay for his planes upkeep. Went up with him once so I could see what a grass runway was like.
Multiple crashes....but everybody scared of being called raycist....
@@ericthered1140 Yup.
@@ericthered1140what was the duck that flew around Mr scrooge the duck lmao 😂😂
@@ericthered1140 If they were racist they wouldn't have crashed. Being superior is a good thing.
It's just like when a drunk driver causes a fatality crash, and they survive virtually without a scratch. It makes me really angry.
the usual suspects. even in a field requiring high standards, you can't escape from them.
Horrible
@@cagneybillingsley2165 what do you mean by this?
Bizarrely enough drunk drivers tend to survive crashes at a higher rate because their bodies are less rigid during the crash-they don’t tense up. It’s a weird cosmic unfairness
@@guyanomaly it is a thinly veiled racist remark. "the usual suspects" refers to the person's skin color.
Keith was a great friend to me as i was growing up. I went to school with his younger brother Kevin.
RIP my man !
Edit: Hoover, thanks for explaining the incident. Ive wanted to ask his brother Kevin the details but didnt think it was approriate. Im just learning all of these details now and this has me feeling rage inside !
So sorry you lost a good friend.
Don't blame you, brother, for being angry. I'm angry, too, and I'm a stranger
Excellent report, thank you
Once again you have produced a very respectful analysis from which we can all learn and hopefully improve flight safety. Thank you and keep up the great work.
As a nurse, I renew my nurse's license every two years. To do this I have to have 30 continuing education units (CEU's) and my CPR renewal course. If this is absolutely not done, I can't work. And there is a website so that ANYONE can look to see if my license is valid. And I do mean anyone---- my patient's families, my nursing company, and the just curious.
U nurses are stupid now and days tho. No wonder nobody likes yall😂
I can see the empathy in your eyes for Keith. You’re doing your part to help his family get the truth out and I’m sure they appreciate it.
What I appreciate about you, Hoover, and your channel is you don't interrupt your videos talking about sponsors. I don't recall you sponsoring any outside businesses, only your merch store (which is fair, since that's your personal brand). This shows that you're passionate about aviation and sharing awareness of the various mistakes that pilots have made in the past. It's about making future aviators better and not about the money. Thank you.
Hate to warn you that you’ll probably see maybe 1 sponsored video a month going forward. Making these videos and running the channel has become a full time job. I’ll keep it as minimally intrusive as possible.
@@pilot-debriefDon't mind that last comment, sponsored videos are perfectly fine and don't mean that you're not doing this because you want to do good. We know you care.
I do get about 3 or 4 ads that pop up while I’m watching, which usually are for stupid online games that thankfully I can skip and get back to Hoover.
@@pilot-debriefNo objection to you doing sponsored bits! Do what you gotta do, while it'd be nice to donate all your time for free, that's just not a realistic expectation!
This is an asinine take. Just because someone gets sponsored doesn't suddenly equate to them being fake or not passionate about a craft. People need money to live. If it bothers you that much, just move your cursor a couple of inches to the part of the video that skips it. Maybe toss out your broken, cheap moral compass while you're at it too.
*FAA needs to be held accountable for their stupidity as well, I hope the family gets their day in court.*
Sadly, in the 'free and proud' U.S.of A. have you- has ANYONE EVER seen ANY FEDERAL entity truly admit fault or even error in/for ANYTHING•?! As we've seen it for decades, the 'F' obviously represents 'FAILURE'😢
It seen as more of a crime to disqualify a blk male for incompetence than it is to kill innocent people. Never allow blk person to hold your life in their hands.
Raccoons are so freaking cool
FAA accountable? Lol You'd be better off suing the NFL.
By design from the U.S. Congress many federal agencies are less about draconian control and enforcement and more about regulations, advisories, and logging evidence. The FAA is not the FBI or CIA.
Not only do you have so much professional knowledge, you’re an excellent reporter and so much better than mainstream media’s journalistic research
So now, technically, every student and every hour in their logbook that he endorsed a flight for is no longer valid. Those students now need to have a revision done on their currency, and they would either by lawsuit be able to sue the school for the cost of the flight, that was not legal since there was no legal instructor to endorse any dual, Any solo, x-crty, night or any other instructor endorsement requirement for a student pilot to fly and be able to meet the requirements for their check rides. If he was teaching a pilot to become a commercial pilot then, all those hours also would be invalid as would any BFR. What a mess!
@@aviatortrucker6285 yes, had some of my log book training canceled because of a similar situation. Rightly so.
8/11/2024 - I Believe that a United States District Court would have discretion to straighten out this mess, and issue an order validating what appears to be invalid training and certificates issued on account of McPherson misrepresenting his status as a certified flight instructor.
@@lawpilot8526 however it happens hopefully the FAA will be prodded into updating their databases quickly and scrubbing out invalid CFIs like this case
Clearly he was not the CFI. I would expect that the CFI flight school holds that responsibility?
@AndrewGrey22check out the situation from a year ago when a DPE didn’t keep their CFI certificate valid. FAA pulled all certs and ratings for all of his checkrides going back years. Same thing will likely happen here. All endorsements and sign offs will be invalid.
This story is so sad. What a shame that this young man had to lose his life because of the blatant negligence of this guy Philip. I sure hope he's in prison because this is absolutely "criminal".
According to the news, he is facing involuntary manslaughter charges...
@@ClearedAsFiledhe won’t be held responsible bc of his skin color. If this guy was white non of this would have happened. He would have been in prison after the second incident.
How is how is 49 a young man?
@@evacody1249 you sound like a 12 year old
@evacody1249 Probably similar to when a 22 y/o thinks 49, is an "Old Person"?
People use relative terms, or sometimes even attempts at politeness.
Hoover, I think you missed the date of his last FAA medical. 12/19/17. Both accidents occurred with an expired medical certificate.
You only need a third class medical to instruct. As he was under 40 when he got his medical, it would have been good as a third class for 5 years.
It just gets worse and worse
@@SoarWithSimon At least his medical was valid!
This story is not only heartbreaking but very alarming as well. I just came across your channel Hoover and you have some terrific, investigative content. Good grief, I didn't realize how much pilot/human error there is in small plane accidents. Thank you.
I found this debrief intensely disquieting.
I'm so disappointed in both the FAA and the NTSB. Especially the NTSB for "phoning it in" [the final report]. I hope the lead investigator gets remediation or reassigned.
When you got to the charges brought, it was such a relief.
I hit me yesterday that being a professional pilot is every bit if not MORESO carrying a life and death responsibility equivalent to doctors who are required to go thru intensive training and residencies with constant supervision. How are there so many holes in this process to obtain a competancy measure[license]?
Aviation is a responsibility that shouldn’t be taken lightly, it seriously is life or death every time you fly.
Good enough for government work. These knuckleheads got paid a lot more than all of us while doing nothing
This is no more heart breaking that the way Department of Motor Vehicle operates in
each state. They give little kids a license to race around with a 7,000 lb pick up truck,
frequently full of kids and all full of beer or some other intoxicant. Lose on the roadways
full of other vehicles after one half hour ride with an examiner. It's rediculous.
What on earth should the report have said that it did not? The NTSB is there to identify the cause of the accident, which they concluded was in this case a loss of engine power. Their job is not to level accusations or assign blame beyond the merely factual. Other bodies within the FAA deal with enforcement and are the finders of fact regarding culpability.
They phoned it in because McPherson is a DEI pilot.
Wait, what? He refused to be interviewed by the NTSB? Red flag anyone?
I mean I wouldn’t either without a lawyer
It was probably on legal advice. Lawyers generally advise against speaking to law enforcement/regulators since it usually only serves to get you into more trouble. Providing a written statement of your own is much safer.
@@thefallenrift1705 Who said anything about it being without a lawyer?
I mean. When do police ever agree to be interviewed when investigated by civilian oversight committee (ASIRT/SIU..etc)
You don't expect co-operation
@@thomasdalton1508 well the video said he made a statement with his lawyer
Incidents like this really make me angry. As a student pilot you must be able to rely on a current and experienced instructor with all the required certificates…. Very sad
@@ericvadekro8334 A very good student pilot can usually tell if an instructor knows what he/she is doing correctly. I’ve had a few look like they earned their CFI with cereal box tops!
Also alarming the NTSB report didn't question take off distance / performance AND assumed Philip was qualified simply because he said so. What sort of 'investigation' is that for goodness sake?
Certificates are one thing , experience is another .
From the Justice Department website: "PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Philip Everton McPherson II, 36, of Haddon Township, NJ, was charged by indictment with one count of involuntary manslaughter and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate, in connection with a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot."...."If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 128 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, a $10.25 million fine, and a $4,100 special assessment. " This happened August 5, 2024.
Your calm well balanced presentation of the facts is a pleasure to listen to. A refreshing change from the overdramatic, repetitive presentation of so many modern documentaries. I am from the UK and have limited interest in aviation but enjoy your channel.
Thanks, I appreciate that!
Or AI‼️
A long time ago a new FAA Inspector was giving a line check to an Eastern Airlines crew. He pulled out his cheat sheet and started at the top. Licenses and medicals at which point the senior Captain stated he did not have a valid license. He had been the winner of FAA safety awards as a pilot at Eastern but only had a private. The FAA sweep the incident under the carpet and issued him an ATP with several type ratings. After that every Fed I flew with ask to see my certificate and medical first thing.
In 'Fate is the Hunter' Ernie has an even more outrageous story about another fake pilot.....
WOW‼️
Okay, Hoover: you should do a presentation on vetting out the chosen flight school and Flight Instructor before the first lesson! As a student pilot many years ago, and having subsequent reviews and training flights, I have never questioned the School or CFI. However, after viewing that you have revealed the unacceptable FAA and Flight School lapses in competency; we need to protect ourselves! Thanks Hoover.
I certainly think that the flight school should be responsible for monitoring the instructors who they employ.
If I go into hospital, I don't expect to have to check that the doctors who they employ are qualified.
@@wilsjane Confidence through trust of the institution. This example is proof that the FFA is faltering in follow up and enforcement.
@@wilsjanewhy not? Lots of people have lied about being medical professionals. This is hardly unique to aviation.
Use the FAA airman registry database.
@@charlescz1974 It is a difficult situation, they do not have the staff to monitor every flying school. If they spent hours following up on admin, they would start failing in their real purpose.
The problem is, that unlike driving, they do not have the police in the middle to link it all up.
I really appreciate your channel. I hope that all the info you give will save lives, and I appreciate the respect and honor you give to the memory of those who have tragically died.
Another brilliant video. In the Mid90s when I was getting my pilot license, the thing I did not do and didn’t know to do was to research the flight school. About a year later when I had an engine explosion at 800 feet pointed up, we later found the reason was the A&P that the flight school hired used Shortcuts the wrong tools and accessories to fix the engine that day. The flight school owner also owned gas stations and had zero interest in the integrity of that flight school. It was all about finding the cheapest way possible to keep his small little fleet flying, which meant, lousy mechanics. I still remember seeing that guy work on the plane out of the backseat of his station wagon where he kept everything. That should’ve been a red flag right then and there.
The reality of flying is that nobody ever checks any one's pilot license. Not once at any FBO, ramp or hangar has anyone ever asked to see my pilots license.
Hahaha in the meantime if you jaywalk in the city you have twenty cops patting you down
So I could walk in, in a pilot outfit, and tell them that I'm new, and they'd just go with it?
You're telling me another Frank Abignale could just walk in and start flying something?
@@davecrupel2817 Well... no. You're going to need your own plane.
If you want to work as a pilot, the company is going to want to see your license. Similarly, if you want to rend a plane, they will want to see your licence. In both cases it is also common that you directly demonstrate your abilities, rather than just relying on the licence.
Once you are in a position to fly a plane, though, nobody is going to check again.
@@Yotanido I imagine a lot of these airports have a small enough private fliers that they probably know each other to some extent.
@@davecrupel2817 While Abagnale impersonated a pilot to fly in jump-seats, it's not thought he ever took the controls of any of the airliners he flew in.
I'm a non-pilot but, wow, the FAA sounds like an organization ripe with incompetence and needs a total overhaul.
There are good people in the FAA, and a few not so good. I know from experience that the FAA would like to reform these types of things but Congress has repeatedly failed to give them the funding needed to staff up and adequartely train personnel. And I didn't work for the FAA.
maybe not incompetent, they may have altered priorities.
Like all organizations,public, private , religious, governmental,etc.there always a few incompetent individuals.
Remember,the US FAA is still the standard that all developed nations aspire to.
In this case the agency appears to have fulfilled their processes and procedures,which is all we can ask.
One of the big issues they have is the lack of qualified people applying for positions.
You mean rife, not ripe.
Every government letter agency is an incompetent organization. They have a vested interest in gathering as much power as possible and there are no checks and balances for any of em
It's weird that no photos of this guy exist online, not even in the news stories about him.
It’s on the end screen.
@@LilyGazouwhat end screen? The thumbnail?
Yep odd but I googled my name too and nothing shows. Probably has private social medias or none at all. Though I’m surprised no booking photo of him either
No photo? Seriously?! Is this story fake?
@@yamatomusashi1412
I no nothing about aviation. But I just did a quick look at this youtube channel. Pilot Debrief looks rock solid. Not some random idiot posting nonsense. I trust him. And I'd bet money that it's not fake.
Bro, you been doing these debrief's all these years, and you are still as raw as you ever were. You get emotional about thing's that could have changed the outcome of a lot of these tragedies. Your genuine concern is refreshing and is kind of shocking compared to how most people react. Thanks for making every story personal and important. Truth matters. Many Thanks.
I read about this in my local newspaper this past week (The Morning Call) since the “instructor” was finally charged. This was an accident that never should have happened. Thanks for going over this one Hoover. This one hit close to home for me, literally and figuratively and serves as a reminder that you really do need to do deep research when picking an instructor.
Well....McPherson needs to be arrested and charged
McPherson, you mean?
He was.
@@UncleKennysPlaceIf McPherson is Phillip, then yes.
@@pilot-debrief good
McDonald's
I m not a pilot, but I really enjoy the debriefs you do. You are very kind in dealing with pilot error story. Great work.
My dad was a F86 pilot during Korean war time , but not in the war.
My flight instructor saved my life twice during my lessons. Both times were cloud bursts I did not recognize
Microbursts?
@@grantmaxwell7656 down drafts, a sudden pocket of air that causes a loss of lift, “micro bursts”, loss of airflow over the wing.
@@ronoconnor8971 👍
That thumbnail is savage. Pointing to a spot in the wreckage with the words liar over it. 😂
Disgusting...I hope Keith's family sues EVERYONE who has any culpability in this fraud, including the FAA/NTSB.
And if I were a student pilot and heard this story I would loose all faith in the FAA and flight schools at that point. Not sure I'd even continue unless I could somehow guarantee my own safety from this kind of fraud.
You can't really sue the government. They have blanket immunity as long as they're acting in good faith.
@@abebuckingham8198 not updating their own database seems like pretty bad faith but I fear you are correct
The alternative of being molested before you can fly is worse. Ask to see their license, that would have prevented this.
My biggest regret was not going up in a glider when I was young. ughh, why when I can work on my multi engine.... .
5 decades later, I regretted not flying a glider. The challenge of just you against gravity.
They could sue the FAA but not the NTSB. The NTSB only investigates accidents after the fact, the FAA is the only one with the authority to license and make regulations. NTSB only make recommendations on policy changes but the FAA has the final say. And NTSB reports are inadmissible as evidence in any court proceedings to prevent the agency and/or investigators from having any sort of potential bias.
@@smzig You could put it down to homeland security FAILURE. It is their job to make sure the info gets from one agency to the other where it can be acted on.
I continue to admire and appreciate your respectful attitude and empathic delivery while sticking to the facts. Thank you.
McPherson should be sitting in a prison cell, not out on bail.
nothing a bit of street justice wont fix
McPherson is bl*ck. He can't be touched.
@@robgrey6183 If that's the case then it's the dead guy's fault for not picking a white instructor.
He is being charged with multiple counts, including I can't remember if it was murder or manslaughter.
@@haywoodyoudome idk about that-no mug shot, but the abnormalities in prior reporting and even the investigation seems rife with efforts to make the GA community "stronger".
My God the poor student. He wasn't just failed by the "flight instructor" but by the flying school and even more so by the FAA. I hope this tragedy has proved a valuable lesson that the FAA must follow up any inability of an instructor with the flying school he is working from, and the database needs updating possibly monthly. You're right Hoover, this is certainly one of the most harrowing stories you have ever told. Thanks for doing this channel though your valuable insight means mistakes SHOULD be noted and learnt from.
I was wondering about school responsibility in maintaining verification/copies of their flight instructor licenses. We sure had to in insurance.
@@KimtheElder That's the thing though. He DID have a flight instructor license. The FAA failed to confiscate it due to bureaucratic oversight allowing him to walk around with essentially a loophole that would appear to be valid.
According to the FAA database, he currently holds a dispatcher certificate.
Well he dispatched his victim.
Hey Todd, nice to see you here. I hope all is well with you. This story is a tragedy, and it seems like this man has no business being in aviation. J.B.
@@jlborish it is indeed a tragedy. A pilot's got to know their limits, and when to leave if they're not safe.
A very long time ago I got my ratings... Private, commercial, Multi-engine, Instrument, seaplane. It never once occurred to me to ask any instructor for his credentials. I guess I just assumed no one would ever violate that kind of thing.
I’m taking my first flight lesson in two weeks. Sounds like a good idea to take a look at my instructors permits.
Look at a pile of Blancolirio videos and study in general the accident frequency of small planes. If you're not in FL or the desert southwest, just DON'T learn to fly.....please. if I knew then what I know now in this YT age, I wouldn't have learned to fly. UNLESS YOUR INTENTION IS SOLELY TO GET $200 HAMBURGERS ON SEVERE CLEAR DAYS.
Check the certificates and compare to the FAA database which is public. If there is a discrepancy call it out to the school and FAA.
@@jeffferguson4632 thanks for the warning but my reasons are nothing you mentioned.
I'm not in Florida or the Southwest.
Would you rather I learn with a 737 rather than a small plane?
I don't know where you're coming from but it's apparent you didn't have what it takes so please... please... please don't fly again and try not to get into other people's face because they are trying to achieve a goal.
@@jeffferguson4632 you know nothing.
I think a good instructor would like that. idk about flying, but it seems like paper work and procedures are pretty important, so trust but verify might get you off on the right foot. Show that you're conscientious about the formalities.
NTSB: “Immediately provide a statement on this crash.” McPherson: “No”. NTSB: “Fine, all licenses and flying privileges are suspended until you provide a statement. We’ve advised your employer and here’s a hearing date for a full investigatory discussion.”
The report contains quotations from the pilot, so he presumably did provide a statement...
I don't believe the NTSB can do that. I think that falls under the purview of the FAA.
There is a pilot’s bill of rights. Look it up. It’s actually a thing
@@NETWizzJbirk maybe it shouldn't be.
@@tomk8663 It's disturbing how few people understand the difference between the NTSB and the FAA. NTSB is not a law enforcement agency and has no regulatory authority.
Based on this assessment. The family should sue the FAA. It’s sounds like the instructor and the FAA both failed in there duties which lead to the death of a student pilot who was unaware of the danger he was in flying with this instructor.
Bingo!!
@@BladsonO1
How did the FAA fail?
The Flight School failed, absolutely. I just don't see what the FAA should have done differently.
Are you positive about your facts, blads?? I didn’t think so. And, where did you get your law degree??
Amen sir !!!
@@sludge8506
You don't have to hold a law degree to discuss matters of law in a TH-cam comments section in the same way you don't have to be an M.D. to discuss the benefits of exercise.
That being said, the family of the victim would have a better chance at any meaningful monetary compensation by playing the lottery than they would suing the FAA.
Thank you for your Pilot Debriefs. It has been years since I have flown but I still learn from your program. Also thank you for telling it like it is by calling a spade a spade (telling the truth).
I agree with every single word that you said, Hoover. I went back and forth with someone commenting on Tom Milican's channel. They just couldn't seem to grasp that McPherson was breaking the law, should have never been in that plane and should've recognized an engine that wasn't performing optimally. He was in the wrong all the way around, and if he was charging for CFI services, he was guilty of fraud as well. Thanks for the great vids.
Put him behind bars for rest of his life..
Not really. Despicable person, yes. The misrepresentation that he was a flight instructor wasn't the cause of the accident, though, and the accident was clearly unintentional. Life in prison for incompetence, and nobody will dare to be a paramedic or such anymore. Not ever social problem can be solved by prison time.
@@Evanstonian60201 The misrepresentation was not the cause of this cause but it allowed the whole crash. There' no reason that these two people had been in the same plane at the same time without faking the instructor status.
@@Evanstonian60201 It leaves incompetence status when he willfully flies without a license and dodges/lies to the FAA . If a paramedic gives 20 people heart attacks from wrong medication and just goes "whoopsie doodle" yes they should be jailed.
McPherson was arrested at his home in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 5. He pled not guilty to all the charges and was released the same day after posting a $50,000 bond and surrendering his passport.
If convicted he could face a maximum possible sentence of 128 years in prison and a $10.25 million fine, and a $4,100 special assessment. He has been assigned a public defender.
Relax...
“Failed multiple practical exams”.
Bloody hell- during my FORTY YEAR commercial flying career I NEVER failed a practical exam.
This guy should have been completely grounded.
I can understand failing your commercial or instrument checks. Those are difficult, some don’t get it first try, whatever. But there’s absolutely no reason to be failing a go-around procedure with how many hours he had. In a Cherokee you literally just add power, fly runway heading, pitch up, and retract flaps as airspeed permits.
@@jaredcook7275 Blacks can't recognize themselves in the mirror until they are 6 years old. Humans can do it at 2 months. You are not dealing with fellow humans.
Thank you very much Hoover for this very informative and shocking report! Hope the FAA and the fly shools listen attentive to you.
Condolences to the familie of the victim.
This crash hit home with me. I learned to fly at Queen City Airport in 1968. I soloed at 6 hours.
I took off on Runway 25 and a small thunderstorm moved over the airport as I was climbing out. The stall warning was flickering. I came around the pattern and slipped and crabbed to land in a full crosswind landing. I got my private pilot license in October 1968. My flight instructor was Don Cameron. I found out later Don was a Captain for Air Canada. He was flying a Boeing 727 enroute to Toronto. There was an inflight fire at altitude and Don struggled to land in a Kentucky airport. Half of the passengers died in the fire. Don was dragged out the pilot window.
Wow that’s crazy! I’m familiar with this accident, and I believe it was a DC-9 he was flying.
😮
Wow that's crazy. Has Mentor Pilot done an episode on that?
@@andrewdahlstrom5965 Yep! Good ole Death Cruiser.
Solo at 6 hours? Either you're a lot more talented than I am, I mean a lot, or things were really different back then...
Despicable.
The so called instructors picture should be shown
Did I hear this correctly... The so-called "flight instructor" unnecessarily goaded Keith into taking this flight, even though he really did not need to take it? RIP, Keith.
Sounds too me like this so called instructor had a drug problem and needed some money.
Please keep us informed on this one. in the original court case the defence said McPherson did everything with safety in mind but that's clearly rubbish if he is going around pretending to be a flight instructor and if he didn't do a proper briefing prior to take off - he shouldn't have been looking for places to put the plane, he should have known where to put the plane or at least had a damn good idea.
They are building a cover story to serve as 'mitigating circumstances' during sentencing.
@@Cautionary_Tale_Harris They who?
@@gdwnet
The defense. During sentencing there are "aggravating factors" that can increase a penalty and "mitigating circumstances" that can reduce a penalty.
The defense always tries to introduce mitigating circumstances as early as possible so they'll be cemented into the narrative.
@@Cautionary_Tale_Harris _The defense always tries to introduce mitigating circumstances_
Sure but wouldn't disclosure mean they'd have to disclose the fact this statement come out during his first plane crash?
@@gdwnet
Not necessarily. The defense could argue that it would prejudice a jury against the defendant. *The prosecution* could possibly bring up those other incidents as long as the judge allowed it. But I would bet the judge will not allow the prosecutor to bring up *why* he didn't have a license, only *that* he didn't have a license.
I said in another comment that if I were an unscrupulous defense lawyer in this case, I would push to a trial and then play the jury like a fiddle.
Edit to add "unscrupulous"
For clarity, I am not a lawyer. I just know enough about the legal system to understand what tends to work and what is less likely to work.
If the FAA spent a fraction of the effort it's using to go after Trent Palmer to correct this situation Mr. Kozel would still be alive.
Trent Palmer should have accepted his punishment because he was obviously in the wrong. It's not the FAA's fault that the entitled brat wouldn't accept their completely justified decision. If Palmer hasn't been wasting their resources on his trivial crap maybe Kozel would be alive.
I had an instructor recently that misread my logbook and asked me to repeat a lesson that I’d never done before, then asked me to make an overhead join that I’d never done before, on the final approach he asked me to reconfigure the aircraft in a way I’d never done before. I couldn’t cope, I was so stressed, I hit the throttle and went around. I never flew with him again, asked for my money back and passed my GST a few weeks later with a different instructor. It’s your money don’t waste it on an instructor that doesn’t get you!
OMG, how awful! This is the most tragic story you've covered. I'm shocked how and why this pretend instructor was able to fly. I'm devastated for Keith and his family.
Even minor accidents with an airplane can be disastrous.
Really good, comprehensive analysis.
I'm shocked that the flight school that he worked for either had no idea or didn't care.
90% of people won't say anything out of fear of losing their job, being ostracized, or, in extreme cases, going to prison.
And I forgot to mention the possible physical dangers.
You people are always shocked....
I mean, if you people allowed a known pdf file as boe jiden, then this should come as no surprise.
You people are recked from top to bottom.
@@analyticalhabitrails9857 Trump won't fuck you no matter how hard you try chomo 😂😂
It's strange how I couldn't find one picture of the fake flight instructor ANYWHERE. Thanks for including his picture in the thumbnail. Definitely seems like a criminal and this should have NEVER happened. This makes you really lose trust in flight instructors and that is a shame.
Why does he seem like a criminal lol 😅
@@robertkoch5011 Because he pretended to be a flight instructor and caused a crash 😭😭😭
Yeah really (((strange and unusual))).
@@robertkoch5011he lied for money and got someone killed.
How do you define a criminal?
How do you know that's the instructor in the thumbnail? Was there some information about it in the description? I didn't see anything
Absolutely *criminal*
social justice ain't justice.
that fake instructor needs to be awaiting his consequences from behind bars. he is 100% guilty of *something* illegal
Man, this channel makes me second-guess wanting to get my pilot's license. My father was a helicopter pilot and plane pilot and I've always wanted to get mine. I got to fly as a kid with him before he passed away.
I started flight training in helicopters. It is expensive, and the required maintenance is far more involved than airplanes. Sadly, one of the aircraft I had logged a bunch of hours in took two lives when the mechanic didn't put it back together properly and the flight instructor who was pilot-in-command for that flight did not properly execute an autorotation.
There are reputable flight schools and flight instructors, but there are also bad ones for each, and as a student pilot one does not know enough to be able to properly analyze whether the school or instructor is decent.
Don't give up your dream! Just do the background checking & GO FOR IT!
This channel and others have convinced me to never fly in a small plane or helicopter.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a dangerous hobby, but most of the danger is going to come from within. It’s not like motorcycles where the biggest danger is other drivers. You do everything right in a plane, you will likely go a lifetime without an incident. You screw up, the consequences can be fatal. You are the biggest factor. Always perform thorough pre-flight inspections, always do your before takeoff checks, always follow SOPs, always get a weather briefing, never exceed your personal limitations, etc.
If your instructor is white you should be fine.
QUESTION: Hello Hoover, I started watching a bunch of your vids a few days ago and am flabbergasted by the level of abject ineptitude that currently exist in the airline industry and it has me wondering……what is the percentage of human error vs. mechanical error in the commercial, and private, and military aspects of the airline industry. ?!?!? GREAT, informative, thought provoking vids BTW, keep up the great work.
Crazy. Obviously the fake instructor is at fault, but it seems like government red tape and bad procedures didn’t help.
Actually, it's the lack of government red tape that contributed to this tragedy. The FAA has been underfunded and understaffed for as long as I can remember. That means more holes in the swiss cheese. If you want to blame the "government," blame Congress for not providing the funding resources needed to prevent this sort of thing.
@@DrJohn493 They don't need more funding they need to ditch DEI
@nedflanders3769
I don't know what the FAA could have done differently in this case.
He was accused of being unworthy of holding a PPL, the FAA checked him and agreed. He gave up his PPL and was given essentially a Learner's License.
If I lose my driver's license but some Mickey Mouse driver's education school still hires me as an instructor, I don't see how the DMV is supposed to intervene. Or expected to intervene.
@@Cautionary_Tale_Harristhe company employing him should have been advised by the FAA of the status change, but they also should have a process in place to regularly check their employees license status. This is not complicated, nor is it red tape. In respect of driver licenses, some countries allow businesses access to check the license status of their employees regularly. Regardless, if licenses are key to employees doing their job, failing to monitor their status is a ridiculous risk to take.
FAA/NTSB failure for sure!
Phillip shouldn't be the only person held accountable. I think those in charge of revoking his license and updating whatever database reflecting the revocation should be held accountable as well. Keith and his family were failed at multiple stages by multiple people, not just one.
Packisnaki bro ,what
I was sure you was going to say Phillip now works for Boeing as a safety instructor
🙈
@@D007-u8e 🙉🙊
Weird this is the only pic of him. Cant find a single one in the news.
Are you tryna be rahcist? lol
just a coincidence.
@@khairulamribinjumaat7566Asking questions is now rahcist? Funny how he ended up being correct 🥱
@@WingsOfHeartFailures my comment was sarcastic, in case you didn’t know.
“We wuz flyin’ in the sky when the white men wuz in caves, dawg.”
@@khairulamribinjumaat7566 “we were kangs in Egypt and created civilization!” 😂
Former Naval Flight Officer. I had absolute confidence flying with Naval Aviators and USAF Pilots and crew/interservice. I did some civilian flying and some of the CFI's were ...not of the highest quality in terms of knowledge but more importantly in my opinion 'temperament.' Not meant as a knock to civilians...just my experience alone.
The military seems to have an acceptance, at least at one time, of ignoring safety, as long as it works.
Sorry, no confidence.
There are some amazing civilian CFI’s out there. Unfortunately this yahoo wasn’t one of them. The issue I believe is there are so many flight schools with different approaches and procedures on teaching basic flying skills. The Military has one standard and you must meet that or you fail. To much variation in instruction to produce a standard.
wow, its almost like the military doesnt want morons crashing their multi million/ billion dollar aircraft, the US Navy isnt flying a biplane over farm fields, not anymore at least. obviously the standards are different
It's because the 1500atp rule and lack of options forces basically everyone into the cfi position
That dogs ears though lmfao
Good to hear prosecutors are finally investigating! However, there should be a separate investigation into the FAA's failures in ensuring this guy didnt instruct/fly again and that the flight school was properly notified.
6:28. His attorney's letter stated that he applied the correct crosswind procedures by applying full RIGHT aileron, and RIGHT rudder. This is not correct crosswind technique, as any pilot knows. The correct technique in this case would have been RIGHT aileron to use the vertical component of lift to stop drifting left, and LEFT rudder to keep the fuselage aligned with the runway.
also correct me if im wrong wouldnt FULL right aileron just make the plane bank straight into the ground
Maybe I misheard the video but I think he was referring to trying to keep the aircraft on the runway after touchdown in which case Right rudder + right aileron would have been the proper technique
@@TheBubno if there is crosswind from the right of the aircraft, the wind hits the vertical stabiliser of the aircraft, pushing it left, and since the vertical stabiliser is very aft of the aircraft, the stabiliser being pushed left rotates the front of the aircraft to the right. The pilot should counteract this with left rudder, not right. Im not a pilot or anything but thats my limited understanding of why pilots put left rudder when crosswind is coming from the right
@@xchomphk.9788 If the right crosswind is pushing you further left after touchdown you absolutely do not want to add left rudder as that will just blow you off the runway
@@TheBubno the right crosswind will push your tail to the left, pushing your nose to the right. You want your nose to be pointing down the centreline once the plane touches down because regardless of how strong the crosswind is the planes tires would fix the direction the plane is moving, in the same way a car's tires fix direction cars travel in so drivers dont have to worry about wind blowing their car off the road
Thanks
5:20 the letter explaining he regularly lands with greater than rated crosswinds is not proof of competence. It's proof of normalization of deviance.
Yep, complacency of wrongdoing...
Where did you get the photo of Philip Everton McPherson II from the thumbnail? When I google his name, I cannot find any picture of him. I wonder why...
I know why. Nome saine?
It's the same as car drunk drivers and the innocent bystanders are always the ones who die while the drunk doesn't get a scratch!
Thank you for pointing out the problems in the system, and not just the story of the individual.
The system should work to prevent a malicious individual from endangering others.
Phillip deserves life in prison.
DOT is less forgiving for bad CDL drivers than the FAA is for bad pilots. Maybe because rich people don't drive 18 wheelers.
The primary stated mission of the FAA per its charter is to PROMOTE the US aviation industry. Safety is a secondary issue. Why else would the FAA have delayed grounding the Boeing 737 Max planes operated in the US way longer than other aviation regulatory agencies in other countries??? 🤨
There are pilots who also have a CDL. It's a whole lot easier to pull over a commercial vehicle for an inspection. Also, there are far greater numbers of officers with the USDOT, state DOT, and local law enforcement than there are FSDO officers.
Agreed. As a commercial pilot and a Cdl A holder with well over 2 million miles the aviation industry feels more like the Wild West while the FMSCA is so restrictive these days.
@@phdtobe "Our continuing mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world." - Mission statement from the FAA website.
@@abebuckingham8198 What the FAA says on their website isn’t necessarily what is written in the laws written by Congress and enacted into the laws creating and sustaining its existence.
This is the kind of criminal that WILL flee on bail. 😡
Welp he could fly away XD
@@g60force ?????????????????
@@jmp.t28b99 seems this guys does maybe illegal things so why wouldn’t he steal or buy plan then escape his judgement??
He sounds like a flight risk.
@@Bright_Broccoliliterally!
I just noticed you have almost 600K subscribers! Congratulations! I love your content!
Thank you so much!!
I got my certificate in 2014. Never failed a test or check ride then or since. It seems insane to me that someone starting 5 years later could be in the position of teaching other students. Lay the facts of this story over the top of that and it is a truly appalling indictment of the FAA, the NTSB, and the current state of flight training.
Since people can flight instruct right out of flight school and many do to build up hours to fly for the airlines I don't see whats so "insane". In fact pretty much every airline pilot has done it that way unless they came in from the military
Gavs, how many flight instructors would that leave??
He needs to spend the rest of his life in prison and the FAA needs to be held accountable. I won't hold my breath for the latter.
Best Pilot Debrief Man ever!!
Sad how the FAA "pencil whipped" the whole incident with his license being revoked. Makes one wonder who else is out there flying that should not be.
Blacks.
Black pilots fly DAILY. This one isn't vetted well and isn't a great person....now it's just blacks....like they crash all these planes. It's a LITANY of videos on TH-cam of crash stories and situations...that aren't black. People are trash....and for some reason can't hold Individuals responsible for their individual actions.
@@screwgoogle4993 Don't be foolish. His race/color had nothing to do with what happened.
Hoover - please keep us updated on the Involuntary Manslaughter charge - Mr McLaughlin hasn’t got a leg to stand on and deserves to go to jail for a very long time - the FAA need to held accountable too - for gross Negligence 😢😢😢 RIP Keith Kozel
Have Hoover do it???
There’s this thing called the internet. Most kids have no trouble using it.
@@sludge8506 - That’s why we subscribe to his channel - instead of going into Google EVERY DAY looking for it - Doh 😉👍🏼😜🤣🤣
The so-called Instructors photo is nowhere to be found... I wonder what they are hiding?
There is a reason why there is no photo available. We all know the demographics of this person and that's the reason why they let this slide. It would be considered "racist" if they tried to stop him.
As much as any of us blank people that are watching this video are I’m sure in agreeance, he should be under the prison; but it always seems to be people of your demographic that cry about our demographic of people bringing up something about racism when it’s always y’all, stfu and watch the video. Plenty of crimes don’t produce photos of the assailant so again stfu and just watch the video
DEI is extremely dangerous
There is a reason why you people desperately need to feel like you’re being oppressed.
No photo available huh?? Geez how strange
My thoughts exactly
We all know why.
Google and the news is full of black men, and women, pictures being arrested or mug shots. Why was this particular black man being protected according to you? Or was it just that he did not have reporters around when he was arrested? Or someone didn't post his mug shot? You see this type of stuff under every bush, huh?
How did this man even get a job im blown away they would hire him. Why did they not check his background? My condolences to the family. Rest In Peace Keith.
DEI
If you check certain boxes, you can literally walk into almost any job. If the job requires a bachelor's degree, you can have a GED and still get hired. If it requires 5 years experience, you can have zero.
Because he didn't apply to work at Mc Donalds
I'll say it, because he's black
@@AshTownsend prove it. It's so easy to type 3 letters. The same that get thrown around daily, most often with no proof. Seems like this individual wasn't vetted well enough. Its just a bad situation or bad person.....unless it's someone who is not part of the majority. In that case....black black black....DEI.
FAA is covering their asses . Afraid of a lawsuit. Covering up their incompetence . Goes to show that you have to watch out for yourself when your own life is on the line, ie back ground checks etc.
The FAA has no reason to be afraid of a lawsuit. The Federal Tort Claims Act is not a particularly broad waiver of sovereign immunity, and even if the FTCA waives immunity in this case the statute of limitations is nearly up.
@@r2db This video made me wonder if Keith's estate might have a chance at suing the FAA and getting sovereign immunity waived
thorough debrief. ( FRENCH = "remuer ciel et terre" ENG = "leave no stone unturned" ) my compliments on your investigative integrity, good job. your message is crystal clear.
So no picture of this fake instructor
Instructor is in the thumbnail