When Good Intentions Have Bad Consequences

Saturday, May 06, 2023 at 08:00 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A fatigued pilot, under self-imposed pressure, bypassed critical pre-flight safety checks, resulting in a takeoff with a towbar attached and a subsequent engine failure, leading to an emergency crash landing.
The incident underscores the absolute necessity of rigorous risk assessment using tools like the PAVE checklist and thorough pre-flight walk-arounds to prevent a chain of hazardous decisions.
Despite a cascading series of in-flight emergencies, the pilot's core training and focus on fundamental airmanship ("Fly the airplane!") enabled him to maintain control and execute a survivable crash landing.

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There I was, 1000 feet above the airport, flying the pattern, with no safe way to land my plane. I was lonely, angry, afraid and somehow also at peace. “Fly the plane!” Those words kept repeating more than I could count. My past instructors’ words offered encouragement. It’s now been two years since that flight, when I almost made my wife a widow and my children fatherless, but the part that haunts me most is it was all my fault. Here’s what happened.

Highly Motivated

I have always wanted to be a pilot. Life and medical school made it difficult to find the time and money. Finished with my medical training and finally earning a decent income, I sought out a flight instructor, and earned my private certificate in six months and just over 40 hours. I joined a flying club, taking their Piper Archer II everywhere. Along the way, my family was growing beyond its four-place cabin and useful load, and I was looking for other options.