As a former bush pilot on Cessna 180s and DHC-2s for 5 seasons in Northern Ontario, I quickly learned that low ceilings of less than 1000 feet in gently rolling terrain with the odd fire watch tower or radio tower had potential for an accident. Add in the additional factor of some sort of precipitation on a light airplane windscreen without wipers exacerbates the problem…..luckily my bosses throughout my time up north let me set my own limits and I had the right sort of personality to never let the clients push me to fly in poor conditions. On a couple of occasions when I inadvertently got caught out with weather closing in, perhaps trying to return to base, I knew enough to land, tie up and perhaps find a cabin to sit it out…sure it was inconvenient but it always felt good to be on the ground safe rather than in the air feeling stressed about what I couldn’t see ahead properly at low level…
Ontario gets a very wide range of weather. It’s as far south as California and goes pretty well into the Arctic. And it’s 2000 km across. Northern Ontario weather is extreme. 🇨🇦
I have occasionally run into ground-level snowstorms on the highway where there is enough of a tailwind that the snow seems to hang stationary, giving you the feeling that you’re not moving, even as you see that the speedometer still says you ARE. The opposite effect, where I’m parked and the blowing snow devoid of visible reference points convinces my eyes and brain that I’m still moving, is similarly disconcerting, though less dangerous. I can only imagine how scary this sort of disorientation is when flying.
We live here. I do not know the exact conditions when they took off, but when I went to town conditions were horrible. I took pictures because of the crazy weather.
@@Kayakx4 I just got my clearance to shoot the approach into Ketchikan at 11:30 am, about when this happened. I broke out on the ILS at 400ft AGL, with a mile of visibility in moderate rain, and made a PIREP. It had been better weather earlier, but an area of heavier rain and mist moved in about the time I landed. I can not imagine taking a sightseeing flight in these conditions.
My family flew with this pilot to a remote cabin on Prince of Wales Island a month ago. He was very friendly, the weather was great and he got us to our destination without incident. He seemed to love flying. RIP Rolf!
Same here. We flew with them and had a great time. Our weather was clear. I have a great video of our landing that I videos from the back right seat. A bald eagle flew off our right wingtip from about 200 feet above the water. It flew alongside until we slowed and taxied to the dock. The Eagle perched itself on a dock post right next to where we docked. It was almost like that Eagle was guiding us in. The pilot said that happens a lot. That Eagle was so very graceful and impressive looking. And BIG! I was amazed at how big it was. What a sight that was! Prayers for the victims and their families.
Thank you, Juan. As a pilot, I sincerely appreciate all that I learn from you. At 900+ hours, I’m still filling the bag of experience before I empty my bag of luck. And I can feel your angst when reporting another fatal crash.
Good tip to suggest a personal weather limit. Extra visibility doesn't just help safety - it also gives better photos. Better photos and a chance to survive to bring them home instead of leaving the photos for the crash investigation.
Unfortunately most people are not watching the Blancoliro channel, and above that many ordinary citizens operate at a Joe Biden mental capacity level. Weather ceilings are not in their vocabulary.
Please don't make aviation safety into politics. Most passengers don't know what to think about before paying for a flight - but that has nothing with their political views to do.
I operated a scenic flight business for 27 years, no accidents or incidents. Aviation HAS to be played by the rules....flying under pressure from one's bank account cannot be part of the equation to fly or not fly. Cannot. -Veteran '66-68
That's easy to say, but people are being pressed harder and harder because of these economic conditions. More work hours, less time off, higher costs and higher taxes.
Your safety record is amazing and applauded, but that's called miraculous luck. This weird attitude that accidents can be mitigated down to zero is concerning because risk can be minimized, but risk cannot be eliminated. There will be scenarios where operators and owners meet every wicket but a mishap occurs due to uncontrolled factors. I am not making an appeal to nor an apology for reckless piloting; I am making an appeal for pragmatic thinking. Further, let the FAA layer more and more regulations upon an inherently risky (and totally voluntary) operation. That's already heavily regulated to the point where commercial air is very safe and also in pilot shortage crisis. Because that will help. Flight involves a wider context than the cockpit and the goings-on therein.
@@carlossmith607 My reference to 'bank account' has to do with the fly/no fly decision. In my opinion, all three pilots who chose to fly VFR in IFR conditions made a grave mistake. Two of them got away with it, going to that well very often will bring the law of averages into the equation, in a negative way. -Veteran '66-68
@@carlossmith607 I see your point.....sounds like 'impulsiveness' got the guy in trouble. Every pilot should be real clear of his primary fault (mine does indeed happen to be impulsiveness) and guard against it kicking in against flight safety. My own time in aviation did indeed include some good luck....but I liked it better when I 'saw it coming' and dodged a hazardous situation early. -Veteran '66-68
@@carlossmith607 Good 'sayin' that....I wintered over in Ketchikan in 1980-81, working as Mate on the Mary Foss w/ ramp barge....they had 37 churches and 37 bars at that time....good ratio, eh? Deer Mountain, can't see it when it is raining and when you can see it, it is going to rain. I also seem to remember one did not have to have any actual tea in one's cup to be drinking a beverage that looked like tea. I don' live in Alaska any more, but a bit of my heart will always be 'in country'. -Veteran '66-68
I remember being at Waimea Canyon on Kauai many years ago. You couldn't see beyond 6 feet in front of your face. I can imagine the situation in the Misty Fjords could be very similar. I was going to take a motorized trike kite flight on Ohau, but thought better of it when I learned the girl doing the booking was in Arizona, yet telling me about the weather on Oahu.
My son and I flew into Misty Fiords several years ago to hunt goat. After harvesting a goat I called the air taxi to come and get us. It was two days before they could leave foggy Ketchikan to pick us up. We had clear skies at the top of the mountain while we waited. Our flight out was beautiful but it is the most rugged country in all of Alaska. Those poor people had no chance in that rugged terrain. My prayers to their families!
Just returned from Alaska last week. During flightseeing in a 185 near Denali I noticed the ceiling dropping and chatted with the pilot about it. We were just under the clouds.He made the experienced call and called off the glacier landing. In town it was a bluebird day, up there everything was different. I hope one day to return and get a second chance to land up there.
A few years back a plane crashed and was left on the ridge near Denali with the bodies in it because it was not safe to do a recovery. There was some Important man from Europe that was among those killed.
@@curtislynn5378 Yes. It wasn’t safe to recover the bodies. They crash, had radio contact but by the time they could get there all had perished.There is a video on this by a Liz Raines on RU-vid. It shows the wrecked planes.
I am from Juneau. The only way to ensure safety is to fly in clear weather. Otherwise, the coastal weather can go from fair to so-so to deadly in minutes. 1500 minimum? Only if the pilots are superstars. Most are not. If you want to see scenery, take the boat ride to Tracy Arm from Juneau or a quick whale watching trip. (I understand that most tourists don't have enough time).
@@josephalberta1145 You are correct. Over the years, I have flown around SEAlaska with a couple of friends in their private planes. When I am lucky to be asked to go flying I always check the weather forecast. It has to be CLEAR for this chicken. I love high pressure weather systems in SEAlaska in summer. Both of them.
Been there. Ketchikan is all rugged rising terrain and weather is more likely adverse than not. Profoundly beautiful but brutally unforgiving. Word on pilot -- "...Lanzendorfer had been flying commercial floatplanes for more than 40 years and was described by Clyde Carlson, founder of Washington-based Northwest Seaplanes, as “an excellent pilot.” NOT a bad or careless pilot - but an excellent pilot making one critical error in 40 years. RIP Rolf and may your sad & tragic end prevent others.
Yeah I was there for a few days during summer years ago.... nothing but thick fog and light rain everyday, apparently thats the regular summer time weather, two weeks of sunshine total on average per year or something like that 😳
@@KenLeonard I know and agree. But for purpose at hand - I was using "critical error" In the sense of one that ends up with you et al at the bottom of a smoking hole. The early information available is insufficient to conclude that this pilot flew five passengers into the soup he knew had mountain inside -- for the sake of some cash? (As some suggest) It is possible of course, and there are some sketchy facts, but can we perhaps give a dead man's character and reputation the benefit of the doubt? At least until more solid evidence comes along... That was my point.
New sub. Thank you for your report & information. As a resident of Ketchikan it’s devastating when there are crashes, the flight community is very tight knit & these crashes hit everyone hard. My heart goes out to all of the families that lost a loved one in this, or any crash. Several comments say flying here isn’t to be taken lightly & isn’t typically for those from the lower 48. We honestly feel safer when we know even our airline pilots are from AK, it makes that much of a difference. If you or your loved ones ever go on a sightseeing tour anywhere, please DON’T try to talk a pilot into flying & use your judgment before getting on a plane in crappy weather, it’s not worth it.
As a retired GA pilot, with majority of hours on floats, amphibious , aircraft and helicopters, it always amazed me how clients would pressure us to do flights that were obviously into dicey conditions ! Always so sad to see these reports. My condolences to all ! 🇨🇦
I would never pressure any pilot to take me up in iffy weather because I myself would not feel safe. Why do these cruise ship people not know about air safety?
I think the RU-vid algorithm sent this too me. I live in Ketchikan. I am a technician here. The weather was not good enough for flight on his return. I shouldn't say anymore....I like this channel that I see some of your videos. I fly on some local companies here and let's just say none of them flew that day unless it was cargo. There was also a crash from Humpback Lake not too far from this accident in a C180 floater on the following Saturday.The pilots crashed on take off. They lived and rescued.
There are multiple series of videos on YT featuring Coast Guard rescues. One of the series is all about the Alaskan Coast Guard. When their rescue helos - with all that state of the art electronics - has to have a crew member lean out the cabin and over the runners to find the ground - you know it's poor visibility.
I've flown into the Misty Fjords 4 or 5 times. Absolutely beautiful! Seems like, with the weather this pilot should've never taken this trip. With the slow down in the last year in tourism (especially on cruise ships) perhaps some tour operators are pushing the limits to make up for lost revenue. A terrible tragedy for all.
Yeah I grew up in Juneau and it was a very big deal to get tourist money and I would guess a lot of those businesses are under pressure all the time (even more so this year) to push the envelope or just ignore safety. They already cut Corners to increase profit and I heard some bad stories about horrific safety violations
We spoke with a shop owner last week in the cruse ship shopping district and she had gotten forgiveness on her building lease and had moved into the back of the store and was sleeping on a cot to make ends meet. The stores had an abundance of merchandise likely left over from 2019/2020 they were discounting. The 2021 cruse ships just started coming to port and were running 25% to 50% capacity.
Mister Robertson is correct. It's been a long year without tourists and the cruise ships only dock in these ports for a very short time. I've been to the Misty Fjords and it was on a twin Cat powered catamaran cruising at 30 miles per hour. Long trip for the day but it did not present the perils of flight. Most enjoyable way to see them. September is usually the best time to book Alaskan Cruises as the weather is less foggy and the area less crowded. Sales going on at each port as the season winds down and the snowbirds head to warmer areas.
we always go in September...headed to our 4th time in Alaska in 2022...been on this exact excursion...we got lucky...perfect sunny day, visibility was to the horizon
Had this happen in 2015 to passengers on my ship the week before I was on it, I believe it was Holland America then, too. That one ended up being CFIT in low visibility killing 9 in an Otter visiting the Misty Fjords in Ketchican IIRC. Very sad, prayers for those dealing with the deaths of loved ones.
I’ve been on 5 Alaska cruises. I never fly anywhere in Alaska from a cruise and would never. I’m not aware of any cruise ship that offers that type of excursion. Overland, yes. Flying, no.
@@sarahgupton2552 My reply with the link was deleted but it was to where Holland America's site still lists this excursion. It was still on option for us one week out from the 2015 fatal crash. And you can bet it is an option for the same boat docking today again in Ketchikan one week later.
@@Indy1977TX Holland America didn't offer any floatplane trips out of Ketchikan on this sailing. They're booked directly with the various companies offering them.
My condolences to the families and friends of those lost, and best wishes to those affected by this tragedy, Misty Fjords is a most beautiful and tranquil area, I'd visited there almost two decades ago. Juan, BAC 8328 F as a 'background color' - is very complimentary for you. I so miss the days when I got to see it 'each and every day'. All the best!
I appreciated you adding the last segment to this video for the consumer, with the majority of us in the public not being pilots, I think it's a very good idea for people taking tours on airplanes or boats or anything for that matter where the weather can be a factor, to think about the weather conditions of the day, in some cases you may only need to look up. Thankfully most people have smartphones and computers available to them and if not, it's not usually very hard to find someone that does have a computer or smartphone and take a look at the weather for the day, before going on the tour and decide for yourself whether you feel it's safe or not.
No disrespect to the serious nature of the topic. But I love how Juan's aviator training kicks in at 5:01 when the interruption / 'anomaly' occurs and he instinctively makes the 'Stand By' call. I defy anyone to say flying is not in Juan's DNA. 👍👍
I used to say "correction" all the time when I said something wrong 😂 another one was passing initials on the phone. Whenever we finished a call at work, you had to finish with your initials. Unfortunately you get so used to it you start accidentally giving initials after ordering pizza over the phone 😂
Thanks for the advice on 1,500/3. We're hoping to be there next year and I will definitely use it as I was already considering that sight seeing flight.
The mother & daughter was from my area on the cruise . From Woodstock, Ga. Our community is heartbroken and prayers to all. I have been on this site excursion. As an ex aviator the low ceiling conditions came in so fast back to Ketchikan . It tragic and sad! Thanks got info.
When in hell are pilots going to stop doing this? Two of the passengers, a mother and daughter, were from Atlanta. Thank you for your excellent report, Juan. Glad you are flying again.
This is not a problem with regulations. This is a problem with pilots not being self preservationists. If you fly you need to honestly assess the risks.
The cruise ship comes in for 12 hours and the tourists scramble to get in their adventures. Often the flights are pre booked by the tourist office at home when you decide on your trip. Get on the plane now or miss the flight. Often the tourists are on a once in a lifetime cruise. The charter airline is booked solid from the time the ship comes into port until they shove off and they need every dollar of revenue to survive
because out there most of the time the skies look perfectly fine around the airport, hell it make look great over the mountains as your coming to them but by the time you're ready to head back the weather deteriorates within minutes.
Thanks for picking up this accident Juan! I had to compile the weather observation report for NWS Alaska Region (OAVAWU, which I believe gets forwarded to the NTSB). Getting really tired of all of these tour accidents in Southeast! Like Dan Gryder says with the warbird tour accidents, sooner or later the FAA is going to waive a ban hammer on these 135s which will really hurt the industry. Lastly, the Medallion Foundation shuttered in 2019 due to lack of funds.
Thanks for the update, however your going to have to work a little harder their falling out of the sky faster than you are making videos this week Peter N352TD Raptor Aircraft , and the plane that spiraled into the lake . It’s been a rough month for aviation. Keep safe
@@LTVoyager People overlook that fact. Like they say "A little information is dangerous." Imagine what a lot of information can do with a lack of perspective. I think we're seeing what it does more and more these days.
@@gavinpeters5418 he didn't say it was. He said if they publish the flu virus stats daily like the do with covid, people would be freaking out like they are over the covid virus.
My older brother flew the Canadian west coast in 185s and the Beaver. Many hair raising and seeing God moments during that time. Scud running in fog at low altitudes was part of doing business. One incident stands out. One particular day, my brother, uncharacteristically, refused a trip into a known "trap" because of weather conditions. His boss said you go or pack up your stuff. Well, his boss ended up taking the trip and my brother wasn't fired. I wonder if charter customers really know what they could be getting into.
Customers have a right to be refused and stay alive. It must be dumb luck, I have had many flights cancelled at short notice due to weather and I'm not gonna argue with the pilot. I must admit though it was myself that refused a chopper flight at Franz Josef in NZ. I have a belief that bad things live in clouds.
Longtime fan. Thank you for what you do. We were on the Majestic Princess ship that called upon Ketchikan the next morning (the 6th). Locals we met at lunch that day were both shaken by this tragedy and resigned to it. (Coincidentally, we have been in a charter helicopter out of Juneau on the 3rd. The flight out to the glaciers was sunny. The flight back following our hike, with descending floor and rain, was concerning.)
Rest In Peace to all on board. I hope pilots of these tours do not attempt to make up for lost revenue and accept unnecessary risk. It’s never worth it. I’m not saying that’s what happened but just cautioning folks. As the tourist industry works to get on its feet, take Juan’s advice and set some safe parameters before you put you and/or your loved ones in someone else’s hands. Be safe everyone.
You answered my first question right at the end. I also have to wonder if any passengers states during a tour flight that they feel uncomfortable with the poor weather... is there any obligation on the pilot.
As someone who lives in Alaska. I find it funny that people mention "minimum flight altitude" I know that very few general aviation people here and a many charter people also have no interest in anyone who says they have anything related to a minimum flight altitude. I see people flying over my house at 200 feet daily. And I often see planes flying over the glacier river near me at 50 feet or less. For miles and miles. In town at work I would say a majority actually keep to roughly 500feet when not in a landing or take off pattern from the airport. But I still see planes mowing the tree tops even in town.
Another one, I will pass on this excursion, in particular when you prepay. They have your money and don't want to give it back, so they send you out in bad conditions.
I live in Ketchikan, the people on the flightseeing tour did not pre-pay. The excursion was not sold on the ship. It was purchased from a local booth either selling from the dock or inside the visitors center on berth 2, after the ship docked and tourists disembarked. I've also worked in the tourist industry for 13 years (5 years in Juneau, 8 years in Ketchikan) and there were plenty of times flights were cancelled, even on a nice sunny days because conditions out at the sites weren't good, or a storm front was moving in. Here in Alaska, it's called "weathered in and weathered out": You may be able to get where you're going, but you won't be able to get back. Every flight has emergency provisions for camping out overnight if necessary for each person onboard. It is a rare occurrence but it does happen.
The biggest problem is summer pilots from the lower 48 You can not get Alaska Time in your log flying around Iowa. 1mi and clear of clouds is not for beginners
Hint; "Misty Fjords" .......... Operative word: misty ! I flew that area in 2001 based out of Ketchikan. I was a helicopter pilot there. I seem to recall the ILS at minimums at Ketchikan was 1000' & 3 miles vis. Thank you Juan 👍🇺🇸
Thank you Juan. I don’t fly myself but have a great interest in the ongoing endeavours to make flying ever safer in particular as a challenge in relation to technical matters, procedural improvements and human factors. Your reports are much appreciated and so is your professionalism.
I was an A&P for a 135 operator in Fairbanks AK from 1990 until 2003, and yes the Alaskan weather and terrain are very ruff on Air Taxi operators in Alaska. Alyeska, the company that operates the pipeline had this twin Otter with a FLIR system, mainly to look for oil leaks on the pipeline, but they could fly safely in some pretty bad weather with that system. Ive always thought that the 135 operators in AK needed some type of synthetic vision system like FLIR, and I kept hoping that advances in technology would drive the cost of those systems downward, so they were more affordable, unfortunately that didn't happen.
Been there. Done that. We flew out of Ketchikan for a sunset dinner at a remote lake. A fantastic experience. However, I thought we were going to bring back some treetops as a souvenir. We landed safely. Lots of smiles and pictures. Worth every dollar.
I'm from Ketchikan and it hits us hard when this happens. I give tours here and I enjoy seeing people have fun. But when I hear of this tragic accident, I feel so sad. My condolences to the family and friends of these people and our pilot.
I flew on a helicopter in one of those Alaskan towns along that route. Ketchikan was one of the stops. It could have been there, as this cruise was years ago. There are a shit-ton of float planes in Alaska. They were taking off one after the other like cars on a freeway. Thankfully the weather was nice when I took that helicopter ride to the top of a glacier. I was amazed at the number of float planes (I guess that's what you call them. They take off and land on water.). My trip was nearly twenty years ago. It was fabulous. I recommend Alaska as a Summer vacation.
I always appreciate your sensitivity in these reports. CFIT is always a possibility in that area. The common misconception in the 135 world up here is that the minimum minimum is 500 and 1. I’ve flown 135 in this state for 40 years. I know the game, and wouldn’t dream of taking a flight seeing trip in wx below my personal minimums. Thanks Juan
Over the years I've taken a couple, maybe three of these flights at Ketchikan -- the last in 2018. It is a gloriously scenic area. Unfortunately the weather at the seaplane base has very little relation to the conditions up in the Fjords, or over the glacier which they visit on the way back to base. So 1500/3 at base says nothing about the actual flight route. It's almost always misty at the Misty Fjords as the floatplanes march in there like a parade of bees. Sadly, I've taken my last flight up there. I'll find something else scenic instead.
The good float pilots in Ak have two rules:1)Never lose sight of the water. 2)Always fly towards water if over land. Many of the tourist pilots just fly in AK during tourist season. Those are also usually the ones who fly into a glacier because they are pretty much the same color as an overcast sky.
Hi Juan, Sorry to hear about this crash. I worked as a commercial fisherman in the mid 1980's on a seiner out of Ketchikan. Often, I'd see float planes scud running below the ceiling in the morning. Some were running out to the Indian communities on various islands or up to Wrangle and Petersburg. Many of the mountainous slopes in Alaska have aluminum wreckage, often decades old, that are now used as landmarks for navigation. Fly safe and have a good trip!
You Need 1500 ft AGL to traverse over the to of the 3,000'+ mountains that lie between the sea plane base in Ketchikan & Misty Fjords National Park. Flew into Mist Fjords to try some fishing in a Beaver back in May 2000. Only working NAV instrument was an ADF where we tuned in the local AM radio station that sat at the top of the mountain ridge due West of the base, flew a heading once crossing over the AM station antenna, and counted off about 20 minutes. Same thing on the way back but if I remember we needed more altitude to pick up the ADF when returning. Slipped on the pontoon after stepping out of the plane, lost my balance, and watched as my tackle box and new rod/reel disappeared into the light blue depths of the lake.. Still a lot of fun!
I took a photo of the Nieuw Amsterdam cruising into Ketchikan the morning of 8/5/21. We had experienced an atmospheric river the day before and the rivers and waterfalls were gushing. The weather wasn't quite as wet on the 5th but still low ceiling and rainy.
I, and a bunch of family members took an Alaskan sightseeing flight in July of 2012. Everytime there is a crash, I check to see if the Otter I was on was involved. So far, so good.
I hear ya on that. Unfortunately an airplane I flew a good bit, and took my wife and kids up in, was involved in a fatal accident. The airplane was fine and it hurt seeing the crumpled wreckage with that tail number. It's interesting how we can get attached to an airplane as they all a bit different even if the same model.
Lived in Ketchikan for 24 years and the weather is so difficult to contend with that the 2 mile vis 500 ft ceiling is rendered into a mere suggestion with regularity . A bit of a black humor joke among pilots there is a bunch of tourists flying through the clouds and one spots a mountain goat standing in a little patch of sunshine just ahead and says " hey , what's HE doing up here ? ". Sunny when you take off ..socked in when you land and the wind is blowing 35 ...it's like that .
I did a float plane tour in a Skywagon in Georgian Bay. If weather ain't good, you didn't go up. For us weather was good and loved it. Pilot was a young lad and flew a Beaver out of thunder bay in spring and fall. Serial #4. Yup that is #4 off the assy line back in the day!
Thank you for providing all those details about this crash. I had been looking forward to what you found out. And we appreciate your respectful presentation of this tragedy.
Unfortunate loss. Bless their souls. Float planes have opened up the north especially here in Canada. Being a bushpilot ain't easy especially up their since weather radar isn't as predominant over the lower sectors. Even in Ontario up north the weather can change quick. Only difference is there isn't rock sticking up here and there.
Unfortunately you can't really get the wx info on your phone. Because there's not weather reporting outside the airport environment. What's happening at the airport has little to no bearing on what it's doing 1 bay over. Or even 1 mile away. The only way to get that is if there's a remote asos(there isn't in this case), one of the wx cams or pireps. There are a handful of cams around Ketchican, but the average tourist isn't going to be able to do anything with what they're seeing on a wx cam.
Thanks for your report. This was the first I'd heard of it. Agree with that one comment maybe the pilot was hard pressed to make up for lost revenue and took too much of a chance. Stay safe, take things easy.
I recall a cruise on Holland America in 2001 in Juneau where I saw something like 6-8 helicopters taking off to ferry passengers to the top of a nearby glacier. Made me recall one of the battle sequences of "Apocalypse Now". Interesting that YT linked me to another video from you this past April of the NTSB Results from a May 2019 mid-air collision also in Ketchikan.
I happened to be in Ketchikan when this happened. On a different ship. Beautiful day in port. Knew something happened when all first responders went code three.
Outstanding reporting as usual. There seems to be no let up in chance takers. Money is the driving force and I don't see any chance of that charging any time soon. Thanks for Honest, straightforward reporting.
I have been a passenger on float planes all over Alaska. I have been stranded for days because we didn't have2000/500. The pilots aren't going to risk their own lives to make a buck. They do the best the can to keep everyone safe. Forecasting the weather on the coast is just an educated guess. I still have absolute trust in the pilots and their decisions. Thank you Juan
My parents went on a New Holland Cruise to Alaska a few years back. My mum went on the same flight but my dad wouldn’t go; he’s been an Avgeek his whole life and just doesn’t trust old single engine prop planes. Sure enough a week after they got home there was a crash - no survivors. Here we go again.
Thanks for the tip about 1500 ft visibility and 3000 ft ceiling the only problem is Southwest aviation LLC should already have these safety standard established - but if they don't once again it's not about the service it's about the money.
I'm met the pilot who attributed surviving a light aircraft crash to wearing his Green Bay Packers cheese head foam rubber hat. This happened in the 1990s obviously in Wisconsin. He was interviewed by Dave Letterman. Otherwise I don't see any media analysis of his crash or claimed cheese head survival.
I was in Ketchikan that day. I flew in commercially at 0900 on alaska airlines. The ceiling at 0900 was reasonable. The weather dropped as the morning progressed. They had 5" of rain the day before. The ceilings got very low around the the time the plane crashed. They were so low that the coast guard had a beacon activation but still couldn't see the crash site for several hours. One of the victims was a 17 year old girl riding along with her grandparents. The ship departure was delayed. Very sad day.
I had a CPL MECIR, did the misty fjords tour out of Ketchikan with a pilot who would have to be in his late 60s. Departure was in rain, we flew into mist a couple of times and the pilot did a crosswind turn in conditions that back home would have me on the clocks and climbing a missed approach... But I trusted his experience and flying ability and we had a great time on the fjords - they are *spectacular*. Sad that this accident happened...
Yea ur last tip is good point but I saw ur other video where' awos' ,I think is the abbreviation for automatic weather something, gives good weather update but in reality the weather is worst than what it says... are there other weather updates sources in these remote sight seeing areas??
Lots of planes flying, GA is generally less safe than driving but more safe than motorcycles. Personal minimums and wise choices can improve your personal statistics significantly as many crashes are simply caused by off the charts risk taking.
@@ca_pilot Literally so many... also not maintaining airspeed, and just not being focused in general. A lot of GA pilots are like cowboy's in the sky, certainly by no means saying all... but quite a few.
On a cruise in Cozumel, we travelled on excursion in a sub to 126 ft. deep, looking at parrotfish. It was special for my wife who couldn't even swim, then running late, we took a cab, then a tiny Zodiac outboard, overloaded with 5 ppl. to the drinking Catamaran, to a cheeseburger in paradise, then stumbled through the duty free store. You really are on your own.
I'm from Ketchikan... When I was up there, there were days when I was wondering why they were flying at all... with the cruise industry being such a big money maker they push the limits because of the short window of safe flying weather and paying tourists.
@@stoneagearcher3477 in SE Alaska the weather can change from sunny and pleasant to raining and blowing 30-40 in less than 30 minutes. In the Misty Fjords area it can change faster yet. I've seen it go from not bad to socked in in about 10 minutes.
@@krissfemmpaws1029 I understand what you are saying. I flew air ambulance up there from 06-15. Thing is I have “heard” Beavers taking off at Pro Mech across the street from where I lived in less than a 1/4 mile visibility. That’s willful disregard right there. I wanted to fly Beavers part time on my days off but decided against it after watching how the float plane operations operate.
@@stoneagearcher3477 I agree with you one of the reasons Dad stopped bush flying up there in the early 50s was they wanted him to fly when it was unsafe no matter how you looked at it. Dad went back to commercal fishing.
I was flying in WA state and knew a young pilot who decided to fly freight in Alaska in old twins (DC3, DC4). I saw him a few weeks later. I asked why he was not up in Alaska. He quit. He did a flight and landed with a tree branch in the horizontal stabilizer sticking out the leading edge.
That's an unhappy combination that I always avoided, even when new to the game. I worked many DC3 cargo ops in the Northwest as a controller over the years, and they were/are already an elevated risk due to the equipment without being in Alaskan weather and terrain.
I just returned today from 10 days in the beautiful state of Alaska. I used Alaska Rail, small cruise ships, and tour buses. After watching the movie “The Edge” years ago, I decided then that I’d never take one of those small plane flights in Alaska.
