Medford OR PA-31-350 IMC Crash 5 Dec 2021 

12/10 UPDATE: Video link showing initial dive out of the clouds and re-entry. www.cairnspost.com.au/news/national/security-camera-captures-moment-of-deadly-plane-crash-in-oregon/video/9a47ae495181bc2b50da95ef8e110230

"...only to have their memorial services held on a perfectly sunny, warm day". Truer words were never spoken.

When a commercial airline pilot with thousands of hours and many more hundreds of hours of training says, "I won't fly part 91 in crappy weather", that is saying something.

I’ve been flying for 10 years (believe or not), but this controller is an absolute A++, did everything he could and then some.

I met a guy years ago that had an IFR equipped twin Cessna. When he bought it he talked to his wife about getting his IFR rating. He had to promise her to never fly in bad weather. He only flies IFR in VFR weather. If the weather gets bad when he’s traveling he’ll read a book and take in the local sights till the weather clears. Smart man.

I listened to the VAS Aviation tapes yesterday. Pilot was having problems before he even taxied.

I feel bad for the tower controller. He was very methodic and clear, tried to help the pilot understand what he needed to do. After he figured out he crashed, you can hear the voice change... very sad, tragic for all those involved. Excellent report, Juan.

65 years ago this month, I lost my dad in a private plane crash, due to poor weather conditions. I sure like your 'credit card reference'. Maybe that simple gesture will catch on and save lives. Mike

The saddest part of this is that both of these crashes were easily avoidable. So many bad things in life are the result of a desire for immediate gratification and a lack of patience.

That controller was fantastic. He did all he could.

As a retired 777 Cptn and actively flying my Aerostar I appreciate your perspective in these situations.Helps me stay within my personally imposed limitations.

Your descriptive monologues, along with supporting recorded material, really illustrates the real-time demands on GA pilots. I'm an old great-grandma who never had either opportunity or interest except for watching from the ground--I really appreciate your ability to teach, illustrate, tell a story, filling the blank spots I didn't even know were there. Like Sgt. Shultz, I still "know nothing" but I sure do appreciate being allowed to sit in a chair over here on the side as you share and teach. So fine. The things you shared over the weekend in NYC and London were a feast for the eyes. Thank you for doing what you do.

I had a friend who flew E-2 Hawkeyes off carriers in the Tonkin Gulf. When I knew him he was a pilot for a very prestigious lawyer's firm, with a pretty full work load. When he was retiring I asked him if he would continue to fly small planes for recreation. His answer: "Nope. Too dangerous."

So sad, I remember way back flying with my dad (I wasn't a pilot) in IMC conditions and feeling somethings wasn't right...long story short, we came out of the clouds and I just remember seeing the terrain in the windscreen. Fortunately I'm here to write about it and my Dad called its quits after that. He had been flying for 25yrs and said, "that was a warning I don't need another one".

As soon as the pilot says “will you call my turn” I had to stop listening. This pilot didn’t do any preflight planning or briefing prior to takeoff. He was behind the airplane before the chocks were removed. Thanks for a great explanation and unfortunately another training tool.

Another brilliant video. The controller deserves a medal for keeping his cool and patience under all the conditions. Maybe we can find out more about him.

Man, I really feel terrible for that controller. He really did just about everything he could possibly do to help him. I can't help but think how terrible it would be to have someone to down on your watch like that

Man, I totally agree with you on small GA IFR flight. 57 years of flying -I’m fair weather only now. Your comment on lack of backup systems is right on Juan!!

That controller did everything right. Thank you for your debrief on this, as usual, respectfully done, with an emphasis on the safety.

That credit card looks like a pilot's best friend. The way you showed it as part of the intro really hit home.

Sir, You are far better at covering aviation accidents than any professional news channel. Thank you for your hard work.

I'm no voice expert, but you can deduce from the sound of his voice, that he is tired. He's not pronouncing his words with conviction and strength. It would appear, just based on his transmissions, that he is inexperienced with IFR clearances and procedures. You are so right Juan about the risks involved. This pilot should have never taken off in that kind of weather, with his level of experience, or lack thereof. I feel for the tower controller, who was very patient with the pilot, and probably needs councilling as a result of the pilots death, and the circumstances surrounding it. Outstanding video and discussion as always Juan. Thank you.

I had all the single pilot IFR I wanted early in my career. All twins, mostly at night hauling cargo. I was lucky getting my first airline job in 1982. I never flew a light aircraft in IFR conditions again. Good report Juan.

Back in the mid 70’s I had about 20 hours and flying solo from PTK Oakland MI down to Detroit and back. Beautiful VFR day but the smog from Detroit blew in. VFR to IFR in a minute. The plane was a Cessna 150 very little instruments. I contacted PTK tower. They transferred me to Flint Tower. They had me fly a box pattern. A twin engine turboprop flew next to me. I followed his tail back to the PTK airport. We landed, he went right and I took the left runway. My instructor always told me not to panic and trust the instruments. I was scared but never felt alone. The guys in the towers and those pilots got me home safely.

My old man used to say “we do our absolute utter best to try to kill ourselves involuntarily in Part 91 before 1200 hours”. So True. Yesterday I pinch hit for a friend in a 206 and the passengers arrived after sunset. Even though you can, night or IMC flying in singles doesn’t mean you should. Pulled the overnighter with whatever nuisances that may have causes these folks, but I’m back home safe and stress free.

I listened to the radio transmission on the VAS Aviation video a few days ago, and immediately the impression was that the pilot of 64BR was not prepared. The fact that the controller had to explain so much of the instrument departure was particularly worrisome. You can even hear the uncertainty and worries in the pilot's voice, and yet he proceeded anyway. It is always more tragic when passengers or bystanders got killed. And by the way, I was also so impressed with the controller being so clear and deliberate, and I felt really bad that he had to deal with this accident.

Juan: I was a newspaper photographer for thirty-nine years. I covered numerous avi-accidents in my career, and just realized that most of them WERE in IFR conditions. One was a helo flying for local TV station with people I knew aboard. Pilot "volunteered" to use the ship to rescue a guy from the top of city water tower, at night. Yes, rotor strike ensued. The guy on the tower was DOA anyway.

All I can say Juan is that what you do is amazing. You provide a concise breakdown of the incident as far as you know it. I've listened to you for a long time and I have to believe that you have saved more than one pilot if only providing a wake up call to complacency. This must take up a fair amount of your time. Thank you for what you do.

This is beyond sad, so unnecessary. I’m just an everything related to aviation fan, never piloted myself or anything even near. I’m just really love it, learning a lot by your great videos. What I want to say is that being the complete novice I am, with the things learned from you Juan and other channels (and a huge fan of VASaviation of course!) even I hear what you hear; the pilot isn’t prepared, it’s a nightmare listening. Thanks for all the teaching moments, aviation related and otherwise.

When he asked about calling his turn that was an “oh shit” moment. Even the controller knew he was in trouble and to watch him very close.

Juan, I hope you do read this. I was stationed at Grissom AFB, IN. It was the winter of 78-79. A civil pilot in a small aircraft got caught in IFR conditions ( it was cold, moderate snow, with low ceilings). The pilot was not IFR qualified. He didn't panic and trusted his instruments. He was vectored to Grissom as we had Rapcon (Radar Approach Control) and 2 miles of 300 foot wide runway. He successfully got to Grissom and was picked up by Rapcon. He got onto the glideslope just fine in IFR. On final near the end of the east end of the runway as he broke out of the soup, he got confused by all the lights to his left. That was where our alert KC-135s were parked on the alert christmas tree. He thought that was the runway. Despite Rapcon telling him to stay straight on course, he turned left and crashed head on into one of the unused nuclear weapons bunkers killing him and his passenger. At the time I was dating a lady that worked as a tech in the base hospital ER. She had to go out and help dig their remains out of the crashed airplane ruining her white uniform. Not fun! Juan, the point here is if you are not going to think of your own safety, think of the stress and trauma you will cause others that have to get your smashed body out of the wrecked aircraft.

Stay current AND proficient!!!! From his read backs it sounds like he had no business departing in those conditions. So very tragic.

Juan, I readily confess that I'm not a pilot. I am, however a keen student of accidents, and very familiar with the factors that many have in common. I watch aircraft channels such as yours for clues, many of which, like complacency, are common to accidents in outdoor recreation. I've toyed for decades with an itch to fly. I'm dissuaded by channels such as yours, which, rather than glorifying how much FUN it is, temper that image with a very realistic assessment of the complexity of flight and the many ways in which things can get quickly - and fatally - out of hand. Thank you for all you do to promote safety.

we’ve had so many sad talks on Juan’s back porch 😢. all of us.

Thank you Juan. I can feel your pain in this one. Its waring on you. I know we all appreciate all the work you put into these videos for us, I guess i'm just trying to say take care of yourself bud. Your a father figure to many of us out here, we love you, and with that can sometimes feel your frustration and pain when reporting these incidents. this one being close to home must be even tougher . Thank you again for all your work. Have a Merry Christmas.

I heard the plane fly almost over our house. Planes on takeoff never go over us. It sounded like he made two turns over us and I told my wife that didn't sound good at all. 5 minutes later we got a text saying plane down in Airport Chevrolet. I was surprised I didn't hear the impact. After listening to your channel about plane accidents I had a pretty good idea what happened.

Very nice video. When I was in flight school back in the 70s we were told if you “think” you can go, you don’t go.

Thanks, Juan, for another truthful explanation of another accident. Many years ago I was scheduled to fly commercially from Klamath Falls, Oregon to Portland, then home to Indiana. I think the aircraft was in Medford and then if there were no passengers waiting in Klamath Falls, they would fly directly to Portland. But on this foggy night I was there in Klamath and the two passengers waiting in Medford decided not to go with the flight to get me. They would wait in Medford. It was not foggy in Klamath Falls, but when we got back to Medford, the fog was as you say "soup". The two pilots and the stewardess with me as the lone passenger made three attempts to land in Medford. Each time the stewardess would hand me another complimentary bottle of whiskey. I only saw the ground once, a small utility building, I knew we were way off course. At that point the pilots made a beeline to Portland.

Juan, you gave a perfect dissertation on this accident. Everything you said concerning IFR flight into IMC is right on the mark. General aviation pilots seem to think once qualified, always proficient and nothing could be farther from the truth. Single pilot IFR into IMC is extraordinarily difficult unless the pilot is highly experienced and proficient as in flying in IMC routinely. Clearly and sadly, this pilot was not.

My old boss and landlord was a BOAC and BA Captain. We have a farm strip and he owns a genuine Warbird Cub. As he reached his late 70s he became a total fair weather and hyper cautious flyer. Sometimes saying "I don't like flying!" Now I'm nearly 70, I'm beginning to get it. Now, what did I come upstairs for.... Thanks Juan..

Juan this video was one of your more difficult, sad, and tragic videos to watch. I almost clicked off at the point when the pilot was still on the taxiway and holding for the incoming aircraft. It was clear that the pilot was under stress and overwhelmed even before wheels up. The ATC did everything he could. So sad as it didn't have to have the out come it did. Thank you for all you do Juan. Mahalo sir.

Sadly, it sounds like he was behind the aircraft long before he pushed the throttles up. Thanks Juan. This keeps us all a little sharper

I listened to the audio and this Controller was the consummate professional. You know it hurts them deeply when this happens. RIP and condolences to the family of who apparently were a lovely couple.

Juan, it’s appreciated to hear a pro say he doesn’t mess with IMC in light aircraft. Pilots lacking proficiency for instrument conditions need to know it’s ok not to fly in IMC, you’re not less of a man or pilot for getting out the credit card and watching some TV.

As a additional note about Medford and IMC operations part 91 single pilot I have a LOT of background in the business of hard upsets in IMC operations . Many decades ago I was a cofounder of a small aerospace company that developed and certified Speedbrakes, Pulselights and Standby Vacuum Systems for aircraft. The Standby Vacuum System had somewhat limited capabilities so during the testing program I was able to observe many many pilots become upset under the hood as the gyros slowed down and started the accident chain of events that if not mitigated was always fatal .......always. It was chilling to sit by and watch highly time Inst rated pilots lose control trying to fly a highly unstable turn coordinator in even light chop and gradually lose control of the aircraft......chilling......and yes i have white hair ....and no I do not fly IMC anymore...... Best single pilot part 91 IMC is to fly VFR conditions with IMC practice and a good safety pilot.....don't kill others and yourself....

I’ve got a funeral to go to Saturday. It’s a five-hour flight in my plane or an 11-hour drive. As much as I’d like to fly, the weather dictates I drive. I’ve flown a lot of single-pilot multi-IMC, and it’s no joke. Proficiency can’t be maintained at FAA minima.

I had the opportunity to speak with an NTSB investigator the day after the fatal crash of a Cessna 310 in IMC after it departed KRAL a few years ago. While speaking with him he looked up at the bright blue sky and said, “see that? Rarely do I need an umbrella when I investigate crashes”. Was an eye-opening statement and one I’ll never forget as a pilot. Thanks for what you do Juan!

When I listened to this on VASAviation a couple days ago, I was floored when the pilot asked ATC if he was going to call the turn. Right then I knew he was not at all prepared for this particular procedure, and was NOT familiar with the SID, and that quite possibly he was hand-flying the SID in high terrain while IMC - a bad combo even for the most experienced pilots. The fact that the pilot asked for clarification of the departure and asked for the phonetic spelling of the transition also was a red flag for me -- this clued me in that the pilot was unfamiliar with the SID when he climbed into the plane. I, in no way, blame the controller for this tragedy -- he did a fantastic job. However, there are a number of lessons to be learned here, for pilots and controllers alike. With my saddest condolences, R.I.P.

I am a retired Airline Captain and owned several light aircraft. My favorite plane was a Piper Twin Comanche. The cockpit was stuffed with equipment. I had excellent backup systems and practiced emergency procedures regularly. I had electric gyros, a flight director and a three axis autopilot. I had back up vacuum gyros. One alternator could supply all electrical equipment. Same with vacuum pumps. With the above in mind I did not hesitate to stay on the ground in iffy weather. The best safety equipment is a hotel room, then fly when it’s safe.

Thank you for this. I'm 63 years old and I recently restarted my instrument training. I'd like to get my instrument rating. Why? Proficiency. I never flew better than when I was doing instrument training 20 years ago. I didn't finish (life). BUT... I have no intention to launch into IMC. I plan to maintain currency by flying approaches with an instructor until I can no longer keep up with everything that is going on in the aircraft, in IMC, in turbulence, with winds, fast talking controllers, and all of the things that can come at you. I fly for fun and to get from point A to point B when it's safe to do so. I feel that its important to be honest with yourself as you age. I haven't always done that. Lessons learned and all that. The video you didn't show was stunning, for lack of a better word. :( Graveard spiral...

I flew the DC-10 -40 for Japan airlines. We didn’t have FOQA, nothing to rat us out to the company. But we had G meters, I wrote them up, regularly, we used the dual land system and landed slightly hard in bad weather. But we never hid anything. The company knew, that the DC-10-40 was one of Japan airlines finest airplanes, no losses, no deaths. I’m proud to be a part of that legacy.

My first instructor was fantastic... had the helmet on me by the second time up so I could experience what I couldn't see or feel. Excellent lessons which I'll never forget. IMO this Navajo pilot was not ready to go flying on this day... RIP. Live to fly another day... thanks Juan.

... and there we have a demonstration of the importance of proper flight planning. The number and type of questions asked about the SID shows little or no prior familiarisation with what was required.

This is so incredibly sad and yet one of your finest reports Juan. Appreciate your clear, concise and easy to follow synopsis.

Juan that intro was spot-on and so emotional. You’re one of the good guys man.

well done on providing another excellent explanation for us non-pilots.

So sad. I happened to stumble upon the footage before I even knew about this one. MAN, that thing went straight into the ground FULL BORE. Big fuel mist cloud, then seconds later, all engulfed. If there is anything good to come out of this one, it's that nobody felt a thing when they hit. Sitting here listening to the comms, we can so clearly see each link of the chain being built. So wish the pilot could have been aware of this as easily as we are after the fact. I wonder if there could've been a vacuum pump failure right at that critical phase, and he lost his ability to navigate? I suppose that's possible, but the comms definitely show task saturation, even before the takeoff roll, IMO. Sad situation no matter how we slice it. Thanks as always for the in-depth heads-up we can always count on you for, Juan.

I feel odd clicking the like button when an accident is described, but a great video and learning moment. Thank you, and condolences to the friends and family of those l;ost.

OMG he hadn’t done his homework prior to a first attempt at a demanding SID surrounded by high terrain !!!

Juan is never a wasted word - this guy is the real deal. The pilot knows the numbers- mostly- but he is out of it. He is facing a sticky wicket but is bluh.

Thank you Juan. This one is a bit tougher as my daughter and 3 grandkids were driving near the Dealership on the way home (they live about 3000 ft from the impact site) and "saw the brightening" through the fog, and then the ambulance, but had no idea what happened until about 15 minutes later. She was very upset, as were her children, and I dug up what I could from Flight Aware and did the "back and forth" with her to help clarify what likely occurred. It looked to me like an IMC "behind the aircraft" loss of spatial on outbound, and the "graveyard" accelerated stall. When I heard the PIC call out asking if the tower was going to provide vector to LANKS, that he was in trouble. (but that with hindsight knowing he had crashed). It is still chilling to "realize" the moment that it is likely too late, and that the PIC knew. God rest their souls. More than 28 Class-A and many with loss of life in my military career that I was connected to, and I thought time would "heal", but everyone of these, most preventable tragedies, just bring them all back to "now". What you and others have taken on to help provide clarity, understanding and teaching moments is most commendable. Thank you for your continued service to all who aviate and benefit from same.

The pilot was not prepared for this flight. He may have thought he would pop out of fog shortly after take off, but he was not prepared to leave the ground and you could hear it clearly in his voice. Tragic.

As I said on VAST Av, I have a hard time hitting “like” on a video as sad as this, because it’s very sad. By the sound, tone, and slowness of the pilots speech, I’m guessing he was an older person. From the way the tower was feeding the radio communications to the pilot, I’m guessing the pilot was either an infrequent, inexperienced, or low seat time pilot. Add inclement weather to that and you have a bad recipe. So sad for the families of those lost in this tragedy. With exception of the age factor, I’ve been in that situation. Learning to fly IFR in my dad’s Bonanza, with a throw over yoke, he was busy with maps & Jeppsen plates, (which he should have done preflight), I locked in on the wrong instruments, failing to scan them all, and thinking I was climbing in a straight line, LA center asked if we were ok, because we were descending (spiraling) into rough terrain. There was no way to give control back to my dad to get us out of that mess. I leveled the plane, and regained heading, then LA Center urgently warned me to regain altitude before heading, and suggested full power with as tight a bank as possible, without stalling. That ATC saved mine & my dads life, that day. I could see the trees & the side of the mountain beside us, at one point. I needed to land as soon as practicable, following the incident and recovery, because I needed to change my shorts.

Juan, I am in your band, after 40 years of professional flying I too now only fly on good weather days.

Thanks as always JB. I had the go or stay conversation with a very good friend three days before he crashed himself and his pregnant wife into trees just off the runway at RDU. He had tried to land 2x at a different airport and then diverted to RDU for an ILS approach. The report says he crossed the center line several x before hitting some treetops and then impacting the terrain. Ceiling was 200ft. Was a very hard week for those of us who had just seen the two of them, but I play back that conversation in my head every time I think I have to get someplace, no matter the method of transport…

From the radio traffic between the Piper twin and Medford tower, it sounds like that pilot was not in any condition to fly. He sounds tired, bewildered, unprepared, and out of his depth, even before the takeoff roll. A tragic but preventable loss of life. As you say, Juan -- a good night to pack it in, and rent a motel room. Eight hours of sleep, and clear skies in the morning, might have made all the difference. The controller was exceptional, but in the end, the pilot used poor judgment, and got himself in a box he could not get out of.

What a blessing to be able to hear and see you. Thank You Juan. Brilliant. Situational awareness. This pp's lesson for the year.

You know Blanco is quality when you have watched years, but never held a stick, listen to a crash on VASA and your brain goes "Hey, man, you should know this!". Only to hear the same comment here a day later. Thank you, sir, for being a better educator than most professors I have had.

Love the channel Juan... I remember I had a flight instructor who was a navigation aide check pilot for the FAA. I remember two things he constantly drilled into me: 1. ALWAYS have an out. 2.Your default position should be "no-go" unless all things are in order (The plane, the pilot, the plan).

Hi Juan. I enjoyed your video but I will tell you that after 61 years as a pilot and over 6k hours, I truly loved IFR flying and 99% was operated below FL 100. I started out in a 135 operation and spent most of my remaining years in part 91 including rotorcraft IFR. While I appreciate and respect your airline career and operations, small aircraft IFR operations can be performed safely. Unfortunately, not by all............

Really glad to have your program media....very informative and very knowledgeable ( if not all knowing) on the field of aviation. Not only do you give an accurate report but you always remind us the number one thing “SAFETY”. Kudos to you and hope you’ll be around for the longest time. Thanks and stay safe, A C

I'm a northern California transplant to Medford four years ago after I retired at 56. I'm about to start the process of getting my pilots license, so this is very real for me. I really appreciate your opening comments Juan, coming from you. I have always wanted to fly and now is my chance.

Here’s my observations as a former B737 Capt with a GA background and 48 years of experience. First, I loved the Navajo, very stable platform with counter rotating props so no critical engine. Second, I agree, the pilot was task saturated. He had 2000hrs of flight time and was based at Fallon which one can suppose that he was used to mostly VFR departures not a low mins complicated one. Third, from the time that he received the clearance to the time he departed (with a run up in between) was short. One has to wonder “How much time did he have to study, absorb and set the departure into his RNAV unit?” Looking at the aircraft panel for this aircraft from photos in the Aircraft For Sale web page there was no ADF instrument on the panel. Which begs the question “Did he set MFR fix in the unit so as to navigate to it?” Number four, the wind was reported calm. A lot of pilots don’t think about asking the controller for a different runway other than the one in use. You are the “Pilot in command” and your job is to make the flight as safe as possible. Many instructors fail to teach that “You don’t let the monkeys run the banana boat”. It’s okay to ask for something like taking off against the flow especially at an airport with low traffic numbers. If he would if departed RWY 32 it would of reduced his work load immensely. Five, it will be interesting to see if he had the VOR FREQ and OBS set for the departure which could give the investigators an idea as to his situational awareness of the departure or did he rely solely on the RNAV? There is a lot to learn from this accident for GA pilots. The biggest items would be “Slow down, chair fly the departure so that you have a full understanding of it. Look for the least complicated departure to “load shed” the task. Hats off to the Tower controller, great job. Loosing an aircraft on your watch takes a toll on these people. They are dedicated to their jobs and are greatly under appreciated. One piece of advice, I always briefed my FO’s and in that brief I would say “We don’t rush. Rushing is a subtle sign like when you are snorkeling and suddenly all the little fish disappear indicating that something bad is about to happen.” As a former Safety Chairman I reviewed many ASAP’s that had the phrase “We were running late and felt rushed.” Let that feeling be a warning that something bad is about to happen.

Yet another tragic air accident. Thanks for telling what you can so succinctly, I’m not a pilot but I understand everything you put down. That closure music just adds the chills to the end too…

It sounded to me that 64BR did not have the SID in front of him. That explains not being familiar with the spelling of waypoints etc. I wonder if he was in fact familiar with using a SID at all. When I got my instrument rating, I spent a total of 18 months working with my instructor who was also a friend and commercial pilot. We flew in every kind of weather, rain, snow, night etc doing every kind of approach and departure. The two biggest lessons from that training was: single pilot IFR in bad weather is probably more workload than I was willing to undertake. And second, the typical single engine GA aircraft, even though technically IFR certified, was not well equipped for such challenging conditions. This caused me to impose my own personal minimums even after getting my rating. I generally would not put myself in a situation where I had to fly a procedure to minimums in IMC, especially if it was a procedure I was not familiar with and had flown recently. I also frequently asked another instrument qualified pilot to fly with me if I chose to fly in more challenging conditions. I did the same for others as well. Lack of situational awareness and lack of preparation are killers. Single pilot IFR in most GA aircraft is inherently risky. I’ll stay on the ground unless I can find ways to mitigate the risk.

Juan. Yourself and Pieter(mentor) in particular have given me much joy in delivering insight in the way you do over the last year. Seasons greetings and safe travels. Many thanks

I hate this so much. I wish everyone would just take a step back and slow down, but I had a guy try and start a spiral on me this past weekend and my friend in Atlanta told me he’s had a couple recently. If nothing else, I hope that someone will read these comments and watch these videos and realize -that whatever is at the other end of that flight plan is not worth your life. Comprehensive review as always, good work JB.

Outstanding presentation Mr. Browne. Your years of experience and professionalism truly shined through in this video. Thank you!

Thank you for the sad details of the medford accident. As a former medford resident, I can tell you that this is NOT the airport you want to just GO. IMC here is very tricky at best. The Rogue Valley can be very dense. Very sad !

Thank you for that opening monologue Mr. Brown! Probably saved a few lives. Made me think about some of the dumb situations I’ve gotten myself into over the years. You get away with it until you don’t, and there’s no re-do.

Even though I did not continue onto getting my PPL after many flights with the air cadets, both powered and in gliders, it was clear to me he was not prepared. At no point did he have the 6P's covered, ie proper planning prevents piss poor performance. My instructors were all current or ex military so this was drilled into me constantly from before engine start up. From lesson 1 and every subsequent flight it was ALWAYS 400ft then turn, weather it was the beginning of a simple circuit for another touch n go or transitioning to free air space for aerial play n control practice, but plan & know what you are going to do ahead of time. The further into the VAS recordings you took us the more that pilot had me cringing even though I have limited experience. Never once did he sound like he was ahead of the game, borderline call but I think I was more alert than him from looking at the departure chart for only several seconds & listening to that ATC! Great tip you shared there about the credit card, 1more night in the same place won't kill you, I consider it my plan-B while motorbike touring for those days when conditions are way less than favourable & once again another great presentation Juan, simple clear and precise

Just for clarification, Juan. There is three available SID’s for 14 out of KMFR. I agree with you that he should have been aware of the available departure procedures Great video!

Juan your explanations are great, thank you for another great video that goes beyond the plain technical reasons for these incidents. Hopefully small craft pilots are also watching and benefitting from your lessons.

My family lives in Medford, OR. It's hard to imagine a foggier place in very late autumn and the first half of winter.

Drove by the crash site yesterday, so tragic. Your analysis is greatly appreciated.

A general aviation flight school I went to in Texas had a poster on the wall behind the front counter that read: "Holding an IMC rating indicates that the bearer knows better than to be out in that shit" ... words of wisdom.

I'm not a pilot, but I'm a big fan of aviation and a big fan of this channel. Juan, you make great videos, and you're truly a class act.

That was a terrific review Juan. I've flow into Medford a bunch and it's quite challenging with the terrain. Clearly that pilot wasn't adequately prepared, it showed at several points in the ATC exchange. I've stayed over night so many time due to foul weather or just weather that I wasn't comfortable flying in -- whereas many pilots at the FBO will comfortably depart, I've often headed back to the hotel. It's worked out so far. Also, I tend to agree with you about GA in hard IMC, not really sure it's a good idea unless you are perhaps flying in it regularly. Most of us don't, so it always presents unexpected challenges...By the way, did you see Swortzel went down in his Glasair III? Very sad given he just raced really competitively in Reno. Very odd circumstance in terms of how it crashed.

The pilot did appear to sound somewhat unsure during his radio transmissions, and the lack of knowledge about the only SID available doesn’t make sense. But it tells the tale. Sympathy and prayers for the family and also for the controller, who did all humanely possible.

I'm not a pilot. I went to GCC back in '79-'80 to become an A&P. Ended up writing manuals. Got the bug for accident investigation while studying at GCC. Was invited to help Mr. Kern do an investigation by taking blue chalk string and mapping out a grid pattern on the floor of a hanger with one of the same type of aircraft involved in the mid-air collision configured for level flight. I remember Mr. Kern calling out for a stick to be used to mark out what he could see out of the window and him shaking his head and saying "He never say what hit him." That hit me very hard. I started to learn just how precious life is. Through the years, whenever there was a plane down, especially the kind I had done some writing on, I took an interest and followed the investigation as best I could. A few years ago, I started watching videos about certain accident investigations and I had to stop. While the results were something always interesting the lose of life and the suddenness of it took a huge toll on me. The results varied from the pilot inviting his kids up to the cockpit and letting one then the other "fly" the plane to having an engine go out on a 747 at altitude and all the flight crew focusing on restarting the engine and not flying the plane. I learned that an accident had a chain of events that led up to the crash and if just one of those links was taken away then there would not have been an accident. I've since seen changes in the industry that have led to fewer and fewer accidents in the part 121 world. But, why has the FAA let GA just keep letting these planes crash and kill so many people every year? As you, Juan, and Dan the man Gryder have tried so hard to get across to the GA community is AQP because the FAA isn't going to help by bringing about AQP to the GA community. The FAA has abandoned GA to itself. I'm not going to go into the history of how much blood the FAA has on its hands, this is too long as it is! But, the outcry is so loud and so intense. As one of them brought out is soon the cost of insurance is going to put GA out of business. It's bad enough that there is such a shortage of A&P's, pilots, ATC's, and all involved in the aviation world. But, there won't be any replacement pilots in the 121 world if there is no GA world. As for me, I get sick of hearing Juan and Dan talk about these accidents like this one. I listened to VasAviation's of this last night and came away thinking that this guy ahd not done his homework and was in over his head even before he got into his plane. He let his "gotta get there-itis" rule his thinking and he and his passenger paid the price. Was he trying to show off his so-called pilot skills for the woman? Maybe. But if he had been trained in AQP and forced to keep up to date by an FAA mandate this would never have happened. Life is too precious for the FAA to be depended on to take care of the GA world. And expecting it to govern itself is a pipe dream. Dan can only talk to so many pilots about AQP. Juan and Dan only have a handful of watchers compared to how many there are in the GA world. So, unfortunately, there will be more easily preventable GA accidents, more Juan and Dan videos breaking them down, and me getting sick. Sorry this is so long and thanks if you stuck around and read all of this. Please let me know your thoughts if you did. Thanks for letting me get this off my chest, it really sucks hearing about these.

"Just to have their funeral on a sunny day" wow, powerful statement right there! thank you.

I happened to be very near the Airport and crash site when this accident happened and I have been waiting for your perspective on what may have happened, but definitely thought the terrible fog was likely to play a role. It certainly affected me while driving a vehicle. Thank you for making this simple enough for a layman to understand and I truly appreciate the information you share with your viewers and have been a long time subscriber.

Yes Juan, you are so right to broadcast all this great information. Fantastic that you can display the SID & the actual flight path of the aircraft. Most importantly, is the voice recording. As an old USAF ATC I can hear from the piolots voice he was not confident & insecure with IFR departure (and related next step maneuvers) for his flight. That controller could hear this as well, which is why he read the SID to the pilot...but the pilot must have been overwhelmed with flying-all tasks necessary to manipulate the machine/aircraft in 0 visibility as he was asking the controller to tell him when to turn...this was a huge indication that the pilot was just not experienced enough to fly the SID especially in bad/foggy conditions. So sad. Pilots just gotta practice & believe their (million $) instruments. Juan you mention all this at the beginning of video. Your presenting these accident reviews-with graphic flight path, verbal playback of pilot & ATC conversation is absolutely fantastic! This is real world training. So glad you are motivated to do this. Thank you!👍👍👍Carry on Sir!

Thank you Juan for covering this tragedy.. I can remember some years ago when the airport would seed the fog to break it up and it looked like it snowed within about a 2 square mile area around the approach ends of the runway on the roadways surrounding the airport.. I live up in Creswell and my fuel tanker job has taken me across much of the state of Oregon.. Medford was one of the places that I delivered to on a regular basis so I understand the lay of the land and understand the departure he was trying to accomplish to leave that valley.. The fact that he was lost when he was on the ground was a sure sign that he would be lost shortly after takeoff!! Bless his heart!! If he needed to leave that bad, there are commercial flights that he could have taken, or better yet, wait out the weather in that motel room!! I am not sure of his experience level, but, once again, it seemed like he was way behind the curve on every step he took!!! It breaks my heart for his family and the other person on board!! Thanks again for the stellar job of covering these tragic events.. Your very much appreciated Juan!! Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!

Thanks for the nicely detailed report Juan. A learning lesson and reminder for all in the IFR world, especially GA.

Thank you for these reports Juan, they’re very informative. I look forward to seeing you at future fly ins.

Great analysis of this unfortunate incident. I hope that others learn as much from you as I do. Thank you for all you do.

So true Juan, I made it through my 47 years of flying and grew accustomed to the layers of safety I got from the training every six months . Did all the so called high risk stuff and much rather stay in a hotel. I don't have to be anywhere.

Excellent training debrief Juan. Not being a pilot myself this is good training for me for the future. I've never heard an ATC speak as slowly as this before...very clear. On the other hand, it makes me wonder if there was some other emotional factor for this pilot to have to fly in IMC conditions.

To hear the pilots nervous voice prior to departure makes this tragedy that much worse. Abort and reschedule. Thank you Juan, I most certainly enjoy your channel.