Pilot's Reckless Mistakes Kills Instagram Star! 

I need to debrief myself: I made more of a point than I should have about which seat Erik was in. You can be a PIC from either seat. As a career-long fighter guy, I never had to think about left/right seat until I retired and moved to the airlines. In this tragedy, I’m not sure how much CFI time Erik had. Maybe he was very comfortable in the right seat, maybe not. His primary job for several months leading up to the crash was using his ATP as a PIC/SIC and not as a CFI. Either way, the flight shouldn’t have taken place, but when it did, James shouldn’t have been allowed on the controls on takeoff (assuming he was on them). I was only able to debrief myself because of your comments. So keep them coming. I try to read them all because I know I’m not perfect and your feedback helps me make the next video better. This terrible tragedy took place on April 9, 2018. My condolences to families and friends of everyone whose lives were lost that day and my hope is this debrief helps other pilots avoid a similar fate. If you want to learn more, then please check out these other pilot reckless mistakes! 👉Pilot Reckless Mistakes End in Deadly Disaster! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3CrJvlmzFPY.html 👉 Pilot's Reckless Mistakes Caught on Camera! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ALHAv5m9p1g.html

As a flight instructor I tell my students probably one of the most difficult maneuvers in flying isn't an actual maneuver. It's saying no when everyone wants you to say yes. Whether it's weight, weather, or whatever, it's really difficult to disappoint. Flying just doesn't tolerate too many mistakes. A very sad story for sure.

I get the feeling many accidents have one thing in common. Complete disegard for rules and SOP.

I'm not a pilot but have been an aircraft enthusiast since I was five years old (I'm 85 now). I find these Pilot Debrief videos some of the most interesting viewing on this platform. Thank you Hoover.

Flying is like boating; it is unforgiving. No matter how many times you have done a task, the 1st time you make a mistake it might be your last. I quit flying because it was not practical for me any longer. We had a small plane I could fly,but when it came to renting one it got to be too much. I have flown with pilots who have a lot of experience, so they take shot cuts to get in the air. I flew with a plot who flew between Maine to Boston running a diaper service. He used to joke the plane could fly itself because of the number of flight he had made. A few weeks after I quit to return to college, he flipped the tops off some trees while coming into land at a friends runway. He tried to recover the plane but it was too damaged to climb. He was killed when the plane nose dived into a barn and burst into flames. He was 55 years old and a former fighter pilot. His wife sold his other planes,and never allowed his kids to fly. His youngest is a pilot for Ryan Air in Europe and I see him once or twice a year. He is the only one who flies,but he has told me many times that his dad's death made him a by the book pilot who never skips a step. He even declares silence on landing and take off in his private plane. I write this to say you do a service with these videos,and I would bet you have saved lives with the information and advice you give. So, thanks.

Here in Brazil a lot of fishermen rent planes to take them into remote areas for fishing. Usually on Senecas, they ALWAYS try to take the fish back with them and the pilot ALWAYS has to explain that the plane is not a car or truck. Just because there is space it doesnt mean the plane can carry it. Cargo capacity is by weight, not volume.

Being in the Air Force myself, it’s nice seeing our pilots out here putting out clear and concise information about mishaps. Keep it up!

I take a shot every time you say “we’ll talk more about this later” in your videos. I’m now deceased.

As a former saftey instructor, I find your videos immensley instructive in the purpose of any training period, to prevent injury, destruction of property, and loss of life or live's. Thank You for maintaining the seriousness of being safe and responsible. MOST EXCELLENT!!!

As a long-time instructor, examiner, private, and commercial, this reminded me of a sad incident which started in the UK and ended in four deaths in a field in France almost 35 years ago. The low-hours owner and pilot of a Becch Bonanza was planning a trip to the South of France with his wife and two teenage daughters. I was in charge of the FTO on the field but had no authority over private pilots and privately owned aircraft. I knew the owner, mostly by sight, and asked him whether he needed any advice in the planning room. I was alarmed that the synoptic showed a well-defined cold front over France, which was positioned 90 degrees to his track, and he would be approaching from the cold sector and that he would be flying VFR as he was not instrument rated. I asked him to seriously consider the flight as he would almost certainly encounter cloud associated with the front. His response was that the Bonanza was a powerful aircraft and he would climb above the cloud. And off they went. Three hours later they were all dead.

It’s shocking to me just how many people treat aviation so recklessly. It’s not a game. As tragic as the loss of life was, what if they plowed into a house or a crowded store? Aircraft are engineered with limits for a reason. If you don’t obey those limitations, you are a fool. No way in hell I’d climb in that plane with 5 passengers. And if no weight and balance was performed, inexcusable.

I think it's no coincidence this flight was directed to Vegas. This is about a casual, almost reckless approach to flying. Here's then how even the traces of drugs in the student pilot became relevant: not directly, but as a symptom of a wrong attitude. Imagine for instance Eric deciding to abort the flight. The reactions from the passengers, the trouble trying to explain the highly irregular situation to airport authorities...

Another Reckless mistake is to ever take those so-called influencers with you anywhere.

One of the best aviation qoute"Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect."

Years ago, I belonged to a flying club that had two Comanche 260s, and three Piper Arrows. The Comanches had a thrilling amount of power and a reputation for being able to takeoff no matter what you were able to cram in the door. However, one of the reasons I'm still around today is because I refused to exceed the weight restrictions in the Pilot Operating Handbook.

Great content. As someone who has read about, and watched many different bad things that can happen anytime, anywhere in the world, the best advice I can give is: Take your time doing proper checks, take your time driving, whether it's a plane, truck, motorcycle, drone, bicycle, boat, or any vehicle. A few minutes of irritation, road rage, "being a wet blanket", or annoyance is not worth a life, or lives lost. We seem to live in a world where we all have to keep rushing to our next quest, and finishing it as quickly as possible in the game of life. Except it's no game. Take your time. Don't road rage. Do things the proper way. Don't dwell on the minor things. I truly wish for the best for us all. But the cynical side of me usually wins.

I don't know if "enjoy" is the correct word, because Hoover's videos always detail some tragedy, but I do find these to be interesting and informative. Every student pilot should be required to watch these to hopefully learn not to make the mistakes that may kill them and their passengers. Great work from Pilot Debrief.

Having more than 3000 hours of flight, even thinking about doing flight lessons in a overgrossed out of CG , with 6 people at night is enoght to preventing me from sleep tonight. This was one crazy flight.

I once had a delightful conversation with Yvonne Craig, the actress, who was a kind, funny, and very smart lady. She told me that whenever she was flying in a plane small enough that she had to give her weight, she always added 20 pounds to it because she knew that there would always be one or two people who would underestimate theirs.

Another great video from you, thank you. There are so many mistakes in this entire sequence that it's hard to digest them all. I live here, and it was all over the news. We played the golf course the next week and there was still a giant burn smudge. 6 sets of parents devastated.

A guy being foolish to impress “little” girls. That flashy tat spoke volumes. You can’t undo fatal errors made on the ground once airborne. A plane/flight is an extension of a pilot’s personal input and control. No control here.

This would have so easily been avoided with better judgement. 6 adults in a Comanche sounds like a recipe for disaster and a pilot with that level of experience should have been damn sure about the weights and balance when intuition suggests they’d likely be overweight. The urge to not be a wet blanket in front of the IG models may have been what cost them their lives.

It's getting harder and harder to tell people, particularly young ones, that rules exist for good reasons. But I guess when you're rich enough to afford flight lessons, stake in your own plane, and a cocaine habit, rules mean even less.

This is so scary and watching that footage gave me goosebumps. Did this twice back in the early 2010s in HS when friend got their pilot license. But he told me about being very meticulous in preparations and never rushing through protocol.

"Make sure you guys aren't overweight or anything." James: "How do I do that?" He really just asked that question. A guy who wants to be a pilot cannot figure out how to add and subtract. Apparently, James spent more time in the tattoo parlor than school.

I actually face-palmed when you showed the back row HAD NO SEATS. Too many questions about why this flight went ahead.

I have been a pilot for 57 years, and years ago I owned the same type of aircraft (Comanche 260). A couple of corrections: The Comanche 260 was available from the factory with the rear seats mentioned in the video. It had 6 sets of seatbelts and the aircraft was certified to carry 6 people. However, there is a weight limitation to the rear seat area (which also serves as the baggage compartment). As I recall it was 125 or 150 pounds, which limited the rear seat to at most one adult or two children. Since both the instructor pilot and the student had almost zero experience with this aircraft, they were probably ignorant of this weight limit. By illegally putting two adults in the rear seats, the airplane was automaitically overloaded and out of balance. Clearly they did not do a weight and balance calculation as required by FAA regulations. Likewise, the instructor's unfamiliarity with the aircraft may be why he was unaware that the engine was not producing full power. If he had been in experienced in the aircraft, he may have known that the performance he was getting the first time flew it was sub-par. Second correction, this aircraft was not a 1964 Comanche as mentioned on the video. The FAA recoirds show it as a 1970 A-24-260 Comanche. This fact is trivial and did not contribute to the accident. The risk factors on this flight were many and compounded each other. An overloaded and out of balance aircraft, flown by a student and commanded by a pilot inexperienced in the aircraft, at night, and without proper pre-flight preparation. What could go possibly wrong? The fact that the engine was not making full power was a contributor to the accident, but the outcome would almost surely been the same even if the engine were 100%. As soon as all those people boarded the airplane, this flight was doomed. Very sad.

Wow, stumbled upon this video while looking for something else. First of all, subbed. Secondly, there's an adage that many people learn fairly early in life when it comes to making decisions: "It is easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission." However, what people often miss is that its creator (the great Grace Hopper) was ultimately referring to doing the right thing. The ability to say no despite fear of eliciting disdain or dislike is effectively the contrapositive to Hopper's words. We all probably find ourselves facing that dilemma, but doing it in a literal life-or-death situation is a taller ask. One of my best friends is just like you: a retired USAF pilot who now flies for a commercial airliner. He has always had a relatively devil-may-care attitude to him, but not when it comes to flight. This channel is pretty much a public service for many people, so good on ya.

Thank you for uploading these videos. It's interesting enough for me to stop watching my usual videos and replace them with yours. Huge fan.

The unsaid thing about this scenario is what peer/social pressure was placed on the licensed pilot. I can almost promise that the "VIP Casino Guy" sitting in the command seat was exhibiting all sorts of "Alpha" behavior to impress the attractive women on the flight, and that the real pilot was ground down to accept this scenario as what was going to happen. Wanting to look good in front of others and being a "people pleaser" is what killed every one of them.

I am not a pilot but you are so clear on explaining everything i can pretty much understand everything in your commentary.

"Instagram Model".....literally laughed out as there is no such thing.

Great video Hoover as always. Your analyses are always succinct and brilliant. I love the way you state the immediate cause(s) of the crash but then go on to talk about the underlying and the root causes. So many accounts of accidents and incidents are misleadingly superficial; stopping after identifying the immediate cause. This tends to feed the fallacy that every problem is caused by some "bloody fool" - get rid of them and you get rid of the problem. Not so.

An other lesson learned: stay away from people who call themselves influencers and people who claim to have bought a plane but actually only bought a fractional interest.

A plane full of Instagram stars? Legends in their own mind. 🤦🏻‍♂️

"Instagram Star" I am so so tired of this world.

Crazy to see this come up on my recommended. Went to school with Mariah and she was always really well liked. Very sad situation. My condolences to all those affected.

Watching your channel has brought so many memories back flying with my Dad. He had been a flight instructor my whole life. My flying time with him one summer when I was 15 was on Tues and Thursdays. He flew to a resort about 1 hr away to give flying lessons to surrounding pilots. He ALWAYS did his check list. I asked him why he did that and his answer was... it's too easy to overlook something. I am so grateful to the Lord for protecting my Dad during all his years of being an instructor. He passed in 2017 and alot of his students attended his funeral. He was an Awesome Dad and a Great instructor!!!!

Just seems like a prime example of the reckless narcissism of the social media generation. However, I’ve met pilots in their 50’s who treat flying with the same recklessness. There’s a difference between confidence and arrogance.

This is so informative! Great job, fantastic reporting!🌻🌼🐝 Keep it up 🙌

Instagram influencer deaths, I'm not sure the world can ever recover from such a loss 😞

I love watching your videos and here are a few reasons for that. You don't waste my time with pointless opening sequences etc. You get to the point and share detailed but relevant information. I can learn and understand everything there is to know about a situation in a short amount of time. I appreciate your work and your approach to making videos. You respect my time and I respect you for that.

I did my private pilot's license when I was 17, with the intention of becoming a commercial pilot. I quickly realized that piloting an aircraft is a weighty responsibility and takes a lot of effort, diligence and intelligence to do safely. I struggled with some elements of flying and I found the instructors to be largely disinterested in actually teaching proficiency. I decided not to pursue a career in flying. Now 55, I spent my working life dealing with both people and machinery, and given their inherent shortcomings am genuinely surprised that flying-related accidents and deaths are not much higher.

Love these videos man just found your channel i know nothing about the world of Aeronautics so this is very interesting

Thank you so very much for making known the pros @ cons involved with flying. My son is a student pilot working towards his PPL he is not scared of your message & education about becoming a pilot my sons focus is “if it predictable it’s preventable..! “

My son in law is a navy pilot. We rented a small aircraft to fly to Palm Springs from SD for lunch. An old guy from WW2 and a pilot, heard of our plans and cautioned us that the wind was too strong and dangerous and to not go. Of course, we listened to him and flew to Carlsbad instead.

I worked at Scottsdale Airport at the time, and I remember this accident well. This is the first time I've seen a breakdown of the crash. Very tragic what happened.

What is also amazing to me is that any "certified" GA pilot - not necessarily a student pilot - after doing weight and balances and progressing to becoming a pilot learns & knows that a 4 place is a 2 place and a 6 place is a 4 place. So I have to think that psychological pressure in the case of the CFI was in play here. Weight and balance should have been done in 1 second... 6 adults - NO CAN DO !! You want to check that 1 second summation, do a weight and balance. Down right sad this had to happen. Clearly there was only 1 single person who had the knowledge to make a flying decision. Everyone else was clearly a passenger and trusting the only pilot aboard. I just found your channel. Lots of good work and sharing going on here... Will be sharing with my pilot friends.

The observation of witnesses that the aircraft looked unstable but then smoothed out would make sense if Erik let James take off and then realizing he was out of his pay grade; took over. That the plane still crashed with possibly Erik at the controls still makes sense. Erik was apparently stressed about the flight before even boarding; at the last minute he is possibly presented with a request from James to fly the take off. The take off itself is interrupted by the controller(for good reason) so at the same time that Erik is possibly trying to salvage the takeoff, he also has to respond to the controller. I doubt everyone in the plane were absolutely quiet during this time which would add even more confusion. Once achieving some measure of stability(briefly) Erik is then met with the limits of the plane which were not only overloaded, but probably had somewhat compromised power due to the broken valve spring. Add to that that it appeared to be a nighttime flight, so visibility for situational awareness was reduced. Your previous videos citing the dangerous attitudes of pilots seems to be at play here as well. James may have had a dose of macho wanting to impress the girls and Erik wanting to complete the mission even though his instincts were probably saying to decline the flight.

As soon as you said social media influencer that was all I needed to know. Yes Eric should have said no.

I'll never forget what Michael Bloomberg said about flying. ( he owns and flies a helicopter): "I like aviation because if you don't follow the rules, you die". I myself maintain a attitude somewhere between fear of and respect for flying. I know it will try to kill me, and that keeps me sharp and focused.

I must be brutally honest, when watching your channel for the first time my thoughts were: 1. This guy is too young to have all that knowledge. 2. This guy is too young to have retired from the Air Force.spent 3. This guy is too young to have graduated from the Air Force Academy. 4. This guy is too young to have done all that stuff, AND fly the F-18 AND fly the F-15 Strike Eagle. 5. Oh yea, he now flys for an Airline after doing all that stuff. Boy was I wrong. You are one special man. I am only guessing how you got call sign " Hoover". You sucked up information like nobody's business making everyone else look silly. I'm not a pilot and don't intend to be one, I just like watching interesting presentations. Respect for you.

'Instagram' and 'Stars' in the same sentence is hilarious ....Im also a legend in my own lunch time...

“Star”? Never heard of her. 🙈

Anyone that’s begging you to go on a flight to a nightclub is probably not someone that is capable of making good decisions/judgment

Thank you I am going watch all your videos.. as a trainee pilot who does a few lessons each year 😢... You install in everyone importance of safety ... and debrief. I am always extra careful so I suppose that's a good thing... and always asked the instructor to do a debrief many can't be bothered now I know I was doing the right thing

When I was a new but licensed pilot I flew a 172 with an instructor in the right seat out of Miami FL with two people in the back. We were right at max weight and i remember how sluggish the controls were and how long it took to climb out. Having that experience i can easily see how that plane crashed especially with a brand new student pilot, he would have likely not even known that the plane was not responding properly. This is a fascinating story and sad.

Tragic loss of six young men and ladies, watching this channel had made me more aware as a passenger on a race team , we fly in twin engine king air and I always sit where I can see the pilot and listen to him on the head sets, the information from this channel helps and makes me more aware of what’s going on ! Thank you

There is a HUGE difference between tried and true character growth and wisdom and the immaturity of so-called "Instagram Stars."

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 6 years since this horrific accident. Helena was my best friend, and I miss her so much. She was more than a “part-time model.” Helena was at the top of her class in her business program at UNLV. A decorated scholar, and business owner. She launched Rebel Fruits, an international produce importing business that was beginning to take off. She was so close to graduating college. But most importantly, she was a devoted daughter and only child. Her loss continues to be felt deeply by her family everyday. If you’re reading this, say a prayer for her mom. It doesn’t get easier. RIH Helena 💜

How in the world can they take off, without doing a weight and balance? As a student pilot myself, it is drilled into me that before any flight, even doing circuits, you do a weight and balance. This was 100% preventable.

Looking back at my career as a former corporate pilot, it’s unbelievable how many times I had to say “NO”! And it’s strange to admit it now, but having to say that face-to-face to a celebrity or a billionaire used to make me kinda shaky.

There is so much to learn from these videos.

Excellent review on a tragic story!

There's seems to be a big difference between those that want to learn to fly because they really enjoy it and take it seriously and those who do it to just be cool.

There’s bound to be more cell phone footage from inside the plane. Her phone was recovered, there’s no way an IG influencer isn’t recording that takeoff from the back seat.

Just found your channel. I appreciate your study and explanation.

Very good analysis and explanations as always.

I'm so tired of all these social media people trying to get attention at the cost of safety and common sense. I was an Airline Pilot for 25 years and was never concerned with trying to show off.

Also I think it’s worth calling out that the turn is likely what did them in. Wings level and keep the minuscule climb going would have likely been another way out once in the air. Obviously never take off over gross to begin with, but also don’t give up what little lift you have by turning when you need all the lift you can get.

So many mistakes leading to a novice being allowed to take control, and no finish of the flight early on. What a waste of lives. Rest in peace. Excellent summary.

Excellent video. Very good informative.

Reality is a cruel mistress. She always wants respect and attention. If you don't, she may f*** you.

Hoover, you do more to inform us about flying and dumb things people should not do when flying. As another pilot once said: don't do anything dumb, different, or dangerous. Thank you sir!

Sad story. Thanks for the excellent video. Pressure to fly can be a killer especially when you are just starting your career. I had an old chief pilot tell me when I flew medevac helicopters, "I don't pay you to fly, I pay you to know when not to fly."

Appreciate your really clear presentation .

15 years earlier I was an instructor at this airport. It looks like they were trying to turn back to the airport on partial power and stalled out trying to maintain altitude. Probably the biggest reason I'd turn that flight down was because they wanted to fly single engine at night over mountainous terrain. There's no place to set down an aircraft between Phoenix and Vegas, it's all mountains and you can't see the ground to find an area to land if the engine fails as there aren't any lights or highways. So as instructor asked to fly a plane that I wasn't familiar with (wasn't a plane I few everyday etc) and I had no idea if it was even maintained properly, I'd at least say we'll fly during the day (so I can see where to try to land if the engine craps out) and everything else would also be by the book (weight, fuel, CG, etc). Every flight lesson I ever gave one we started emergency procedure training, I'd ask the student before we took off, "Where are we going to land if the engine fails immediately after takeoff with no runway remaining?" and my students would confirm with me where the best possible area to aim for would be, (I had told them in prior lessons where the best chance to land was, generally straight ahead). Even later flying jets pilots had a standard takeoff briefing every flight; it was an SOP and had to be briefed. In this case a bunch of innocent passengers died because of the, "kick the tire, light the fire' mentality.

As a student pilot, I love watching your videos and am learning so much. Thank you! I’ve finished ground school and find it surprising that the student pilot was claiming to need only a few more hours before his solo, yet he didn’t seem to understand the importance of doing accurate the weight and balance calculations. It’s even more astonishing that the instructor didn’t know they were overweight. Condolences to the families…so sad that these young lives were lost.

I used to work in corporate aviation. I remember one time a beechjet 400a pilot calling their company and arguing that their passengers had too much weight. He was refusing to fly while the company was telling to make the flight. The pilot started yelling at the current weight if they lose an engine on takeoff they will most likely crash, and he's not willing to risk his life. The passengers refused to leave any of their stuff behind. Despite us telling them we can ship them their things overnight. The passengers demanded the plane be flown, and the pilot was told fly the plane or you're fired. He ended up caving, and the plane took off. Luckily, no incident happened. I forgot what a tough situation that pilot was in. I was so sure he was not going to fly the trip until his company threatened his job.

About 20 years ago I was involved secondary aviation accident research. Two pilot operations can exhibit an increase in mishaps and accidents primarily because the communication barriers are not resolved prior to flight. Examples: Professional pilots are/were 41 percent of the pilot population and with two professional pilots made up 61 percent of accidents while student pilots flying solo produced only 7 percent of accidents from 16 percent of pilot population. I'm not surprised with this unfortunate deadly accident as neither pilot knew each other and command and control was minimal at best. The FAA considers the CFI is the PIC even if the other pilot is fully qualified and is the sole manipulator of the controls. In this case, the CFI was in no question PIC. And we all know most accidents occur in critical flight aka departure and approach.

I'm just starting my training for my PPL, videos like these really prove just how important procedures are and how serious your mind set needs to be if you plan on arriving anywhere safely. I greatly appreciate having a fighter pilot guide me towards being the safest and best pilot I hope to become through these debriefs.

Many years ago, after I returned from a night flight, I met 3 students at my local flight club about to go on a night instrument cross country lesson with their instructor. Later, watching the news, I heard that a plane had crashed on take off from my airport, with no survivors. There was a temperature inversion that night and sadly the aircraft didn’t have the performance to climb. Flying is easy, being a pilot requires so much more than simple flying skills.

Your channel is wild!

Great video...many lessons here for everyone, young and old.

I took a couple of lessons, felt I knew the basics, so having built a private air strip on my land I took delivery of a brand new Piper Trainer, I flew under the radar around my lake for years, then one morning on approach I nose dived rapidly into the tarmac destroying 70% of my plane and giving myself a near heart attack. It took only a few hours to conclude that metal fatigue on the trim tan link was the root cause. Well I didn’t waste any time I went straight out an purchased an updated version of this 1970’s Trainer , took a few weeks to prepare and the gloss sunshine off the wings paint was spectacular, probably the best Radio Control Model Plane I ever built….ya see I know my limits….she should have known her’s…..

Here's another element of this tragedy: it's a 4-hour drive from Scottsdale to Las Vegas. The pilot could have refused the flight and they could have taken a fairly short drive and been in Vegas.

I remember when this happened. I live in the east valley south of Scottsdale. Definitely remember the witnesses thinking they were screwing around because of the wiggling around. I understand the NTSB deciding the drugs were not a factor as obviously he was not at a level that would cause impairment, but I think it does indicate James' overall poor decision making. Using coke and ecstasy in the first place but also using it before you know you're going to be flying, when you need to be on your A game.

The growing incompetence in this world is extremely scary....

No structural seats in the back means no seat belts. That alone would be reason not to take all of them. It would have fixed the weight and CG problem. The aircraft seems to be a Comanche 260 which is a good 4 seater but NOT a six seater! You're absolutely right; when liftoff is on the ragged edge of the stall and will not climb, the aircraft is talking to you... It seems that when young females are involved, normally competent guys lose their minds. Literally! It doesn't bear thinking how these people came to their end.

Gravity has a massively larger inarguable influence than anyone on that plane did.

Instagram influencers, no great loss.

Glad we can have these debriefs on aircraft accidents so people don't need to freak out as much. 9/10 times aviation accidents are due to compromise and can be avoided.

My father owned and flew a Cessna 172 in the mid to late 60’s early 70’s. He and his buddy traded it in on a 1966 Comanche 260B in 1973 in which I flew in as a young kid up to 1975. Financially, he sold his share then, being the last time he flew a plane, in which he dearly loved to do. When they purchased the Comanche he had well over 300 hrs flying and was THOROUGHLY instructed by a CFI in the Comanche’s performance. He always told me, “that plane was a different ballgame”. You had to stay ahead of it due to its high performance. Almost 200 mph plane. That everything around you happened so much more quicker in that plane. Unfortunately, I found out a few years ago and just before my father’s passing at age 95, a family of 4 were killed in that same plane in a crash 2015. I was about the same age as their youngest the last I flew in that Comanche. COMANCHES AND OTHER SIMILAR AIRPLANES ARE BIG BOY/GIRL PLANES…PLEASE BUILD YOUR HOURS UP BEFORE TRANSITIONING…

Living in Scottsdale I remember this accident. In 2003 there was another crash where Piper N3636Q took off from the same airport and flew right into the McDowell Mts. Thousands of people witnessed it as it was at sunset over a busy area. You should do a Debrief on that accident.

Excelent video. Tank you.From Brazil

I really enjoy your videos. You are hands down one of the best on RU-vid. I am happy to see that you backed off on the point about seating for the PIC. An ATP and CFI should be able to fly and act as PIC from the right seat without any issue. Nothing wrong, in and of itself, in allowing a student to be on the controls even with passengers. The CFI always is PIC. This airplane was doomed before it left the ground because of poor decision making (weight and balance) and the power issue because of the failed valve spring (I assume exhaust valve). A more competent pilot would never have proceeded with the weight and balance problem…more experience in make and model and the PIC would have recognized that the airplane was not producing full power on the takeoff roll. Too bad this happened. Really too bad that five people that don’t understand the risks lost their lives because of poor performance on the pilots (PIC) part.

As a fairly new private pilot, I love watching all of your videos. It makes me think how every day scenarios can end in tragedy if you aren't careful. I appreciate the truthful yet respectful way you review each situation.

Eriks dumbest mistake (and I say Erik's because he was the only rated pilot so was responsible for the whole thing) was that he let two people sit in seats that were just thrown in the back, not bolted in, and presumably (if it had been used as a four seater) did not have seat belts. If he had just said "No" to taking the extra two people, the aircraft would have been under gross and inside CG limits. Then there would have been four live people in Vegas and two disappointed ones at Scottsdale.

So sad! Such young lives with their whole lives ahead of them!! Very tragic!!

I’m not involved with planes I’ve only been on 4 planes in 50 years! Just have no need to go on one. But I stumbled on your channel a couple of months ago & it’s Fantastic every video so far is very well presented easy to understand for a novice 😅well done. You are a master in doing these cheers from Australia