Student Pilot SOLO STARTS PANICKING after Failed Landing attempt 

That was great teamwork indeed! Awesome job!

I just want to say that this controller's performance was nothing short of miraculous! He was absolutely switched on immediately, and was able to determine exactly how much information the student pilot was able to process. He also did a great job of relaying comms since the instructor's radio didn't seem to have enough range. I truly hope his efforts are officially recognized. To the young lady that was flying, if you just so happen to read this, please know that you didn't do anything wrong. Stress and emotions are fickle things. We as humans can't just turn emotions off, and the physiological response from our bodies is no joke. You did great by continuing to communicate with the tower. You got yourself and the plane back down safely. In my book that took a TON of courage and resilience, even while you were fighting through your situation. Well done. I mean that sincerely. I hope you are able to work all that out, which may take some time... and that's ok. I also hope you're able to continue your aviation journey in the future if you desire to. This situation wasn't fun, but use it as proof that you can still operate under pressure. With some guidance and practice, you can still achieve your dreams!

Well done to the the ATC.

"I feel like I need to get out right now." - that line must have sent chills to everyone on frequency listening.

I feel so sorry for the student… when panic sets in it can really feel like the worlds ending, props to the ATC for assisting them.

Controller, you saved that girls life.

That sounded like a full blown panic attack. I’m glad she was able to land the plane. Great job everyone and thanks for the video!

This is why ATC aren't paid enough. The level of patience and professionalism they show under extreme pressure is just incredible.

You have to be REALLY brave to ask for help in moments like these! Kudos to everyone involved.

Gentleman in the tower is phenomenal. He was able to be nice, calm her down and most importantly do his job keeping everyone safe. A+

As an ATC myself, tower was awesome, clear, concise, calm, 100% on relaying the instructors guidance, this team saved a life today!!!!

Student did a lot of right things here. First and foremost, she voiced her situation openly. From the recording she seems to be flying the plane well, she had four critical turns to make in the pattern all while under stress and seems to have executed those without comment from the ground. Certainly those are the most dangerous traps and where I was biting my nails. But, she came through. Well done

I love I love I love the way this ATC guy spoke to her. Sometimes when someone is panicking, it can be easy to get agitated in response. He remained cool, calm and his clear communication was very helpful to this woman. Good on you Sir. Fabulous work. Good on you, dear pilot. You have now landed your most difficult ever landing. Only easier from here. ❤

"I'll bring you some donuts later" literally most Canadian ending possible! See you at Tim's! 🇨🇦😂🍩☕

Can we recommend that controller for a Golden Headset Award? (I know there is no such thing, but there should be such an 'Oscar' for great ATC work). Very well done - calm, didn't hassle the pilot, worked with the instructor and reinforced the pilots good flying during what sounds like a horrible panic attack. Hope she was ok and can work through this with her instructor.

To the ATCO: Amazing job!!! To the student pilot: a go around is nothing to be ashamed of, or scared of. You never have to apologize for it, it is a normal procedure. If you feel something is off during the approach or the landing, just go around! It happens to the best of the best, it happens after 10 000 hours. Congrats of pulling everything together at the end! Wish you a nice, long aviation career!

ATC... just wow... what an incredible person. The patience, the understanding. 10/10 person.

I can’t imagine how terrified this young pilot was. Amazing job to all involved!

“I feel like I need to get out right now” 😭 She was probably looking for the pause game button…

To the Student Pilot, your accomplishment in conquering your apprehensions and ensuring a safe return is truly commendable. Having acquired my pilot's license back in 1989, I can attest that even after all these years, there are instances that trigger hesitations, casting doubt and unease. Despite undergoing three decades of training, re-certifications, attending AOPA classes, and more, there are moments when we must rely on ingrained muscle memory and unwavering faith in our training. Your skillful landing is praiseworthy, but what truly stands out is your resilience. Your strength in the face of challenges is truly remarkable.

People have already said it, but to me, the single most amazing accomplishment of this entire situation was the student telling ATC she is a STUDENT. 10 times out of 10, when ATC hears “student pilot” on the other end, it helps them understand how to adjust their communication to better help the student. Kudos to the instructor as well for giving clear, step-by-step instructions the whole way, and thank you to ATC for staying poised, calm, patient, and understanding the entire time. Like the controller said, it was a team effort for everyone involved, and what a blessing it was!! Furthermore, to the young lady, may I say congratulations to an outstanding job!! You might not have realized it in the moment, but what you did was EXACTLY what you were trained to do. You recognized the situation and told ATC everything that was wrong in its entirety, to which they correctly and efficiently gave you the absolute best possible help. I have no doubt that you will one day become an incredible pilot, and it’s because of your already stellar training exhibited via this incident that I feel so confidently as such. Keep on soaring, ma’am!! ✈️

I fly out of this airport and was flying that day, and I feel it is important to add more context this video has edited out. As the student departed, a significant number of aircraft were returning from the practice area at the same time. There are two busy schools at this airport in addition to GA traffic; it is one of Canada's busiest GA airports. With that, the student was given an unexpected instruction to fly a left hand circuit for runway 30, normally this runway is right hand circuits. This change and the sudden surge of traffic likely added pressure to the first solo jitters. My personal observation is that the student was likely a bit hard on themselves and let it snowball in their mind (from listening to the full unedited version). While all of this talking and guidance was happening, ATC was still communicating with incoming aircraft. Some were allowed to land, others were being asked to clear the zone, many on the ground were still making calls and request and ground and tower frequencies were merged at this time. There was a lot of chatter to pay attention to while the incident was in progress. Kudos to the student for being able to continue to communicate properly during that period. I am sure there are going to be hordes of armchair experts ready to judge the CFI and the student, just remember you are using a short and edited clip to make those judgements. You might not have the full insight into the training and progress of the student and the number of checks the CFI and the school carry out before letting a student solo. By all measures they may have been ready, the student may have felt ready and more than likely demonstrated their abilities. Unfortunately no one can know 100% how they will feel about flying solo until they do. Sometimes there is a moment of panic, I am sure in most cases the student keeps it to themselves. Those who have flown or trained know how suddenly and easily one can fall behind the airplane and how mistakes can pile up fast, and we learn the skills to reset and come back from it. Let us be reminded of the fact that the student did continue to fly the plane and had the skills to do so. Well done! They may have needed a little help from folks on the ground to stay focused (which did a great job), but the pilot did fly and land the plane.

Wow... I just started tearing up just listening to the defeat in pilots voice; the FTA was awesome and did a fantastic job coaching her through what was probably the most intense moment of her life... FYA, you did great, no one is perfect its all just a matter of how you handle the situation; as long as you kept a level head and listened to your training, playing over and over again take your experience and learn... Kudos to instructor as well. Clear, concise directives and keeping everyone calm.. All three of you deserve a donut!

To the student pilot Ive been there. On my 5th student solo the wind was well above my minimums and I had to do three go arounds to land. I was terrified but lived to tell the tale. You did a fine job under pressure. Don't let this experience scare you. To the ATC you are amazing, always so calm and reassuring. Now im doing instruments I totally depend on your guidance. Again you are amazing.

Wow. I can't imagine being an instructor and hearing that from my student for the first time during their solo. You don't have to be mean or bully them, but if you haven't stressed them, task saturated them and sat there silently while you observe how they react mentally, physically and emotionally, you shouldn't be signing them off for a solo.

As a CFI, I used to do 'progress checks' on students. One of them was right before solo. My job was to tell them only what I wanted to see. I wouldn't say anything else. If they asked a question, I was quiet. If they didn't understand something atc said, I was quiet. I wanted to see exactly what they would do when they were solo. I've seen some dumb stuff during these progress checks. Some students were 100% not ready, but others did great and were 100% ready. As a check instructor, it was also interesting to see which type of student we were going to get this time for a prog check. When the flight gets so out of hand that I take the flight controls for safety, that's when the progress check is over and they need more practice. Shoot, I had one student that wasn't ready and didn't even get off the ground, it was going so bad. I felt bad for him.

That teamwork made me drop a tear here. The ATC was so kind. Nice!

That was terrifying to me to hear her say she didn't know what was happening and she was freaking out. My heart would have been 180 beats per minute hearing that as her instructor.

It looks like the student had a panic attack there. Good job to the controller getting her back down calmly.

I just had flashbacks to one of my first solo landings. The wind had changed direction and there was a sudden gust and the plane banked and almost hit the runway on the wing. I just went full power go around. The control was sluggish as I was in slow flight. Came back around on another runway and landed. Went home and cried.

Thank god for skilled aviators and controllers. Hope she can regain her confidence and work through this event.

I’m surprised how emotional I got listening g to this. Especially when the instructor was brought in. I’m so happy the pilot held it together. I could so feel her fear.

I had to put my foot down with my instructor and tell him I wasn't ready to solo. And again on my cross-country flights. I'm glad I did. I had poor dead reckoning skills. Pre-GPS days I was constantly lost up there and he kept saying "you'll be fine". If you don't believe in yourself, don't do it until you're ready. Tell him/her everything you're concerned about and see if they take you seriously and work on it.

The controller was awesome in this. I hope she shakes it off and gets back in the air, despite the situation she did the right thing by asking for help and did just fine getting calmed down and back on the ground.

This community is just wonderful. It is great to see this space free of bitterness and celebrating the professionalism and spirit of everyone who keeps our planes in the sky.

Holy Smoke, that was dangerous. But ATC was amazingly calm, as well as the instructor.

Well done to all, including the student pilot who immediately recognized she wasn't ready and needed help. I felt bad for her, it must be a terrifying feeling. Very glad she's ok.

The controller deserves a commendation medal. Very well done sir. You were perfect.

I did all my flight training at this flight school in Oshawa, Ontario. My first ever flight lesson was in this C152 (C-FFYA), as well as countless circuits, flights to the practice area and cross countries. First solo was FYA's sister airplane. I can definitely recall a handful of, at the time, scary experiences, including in the circuit at CYOO. I sympathize with this student because when you're new to flying and don't have your instructor with you, the first time you have a bad landing or something goes sideways, you feel like you're in trouble. When you're inexperienced and don't know any better, even a routine balked landing can feel like a mistake you can't recover from, and it can really shake your confidence. When I was instructing, I had some students who were very hard on themselves when it came to their own errors. I remember telling them that if I wasn't there with them in the plane, it's because I had complete confidence in their ability to handle the aircraft solo. For many, learning to cast aside self-doubt and recover from errors can be as much of a challenge as learning to fly the aircraft. I've scared the crap of out myself as a solo student pilot, I've scared the crap out of myself as a budding CPL time builder, I've scared the crap out of myself as a flight instructor with a new student, I've scared the crap out of myself doing a CAT II ILS in an airliner. You learn a lot from those situations, and with experience they become easier to manage. I hope she does get back on the saddle one day. Also, huge huge kudos to ATC for their professionalism and calmness. I hope the powers that be at the flight school arrange for this controller and his family to go out for a nice dinner. I have always felt the Oshawa tower controllers to be some of the best in Ontario and this gentleman was above and beyond helpful.

I want to give that student a hug... poor thing wasn't ready

I remember being a new solo pilot back in the early-80s. It is so scary when you’re not sure if you can get your aircraft down safely. I felt so much emotion listening to her, the sound of panic, disappointment and that feeling she’s left herself and her instructor down. Trust me, many pilots have been there and I commend you for getting your plane down safely. Well done and don’t get down on yourself. Flying and landing a plane is something not many people can say they’ve ever done so keep your chin up and best of luck in the future.

Awww the instructor was so dreamy what a great side character. The lack of repeat read back is got my fur standing up

Until you’ve been in an airplane by yourself in control of your own life at the controls of that airplane you’ll never know what this feeling is like. I have been there and it is petrifying. As of this moment that was over 1,100 hours of flight time ago for me. When you feel like you’re about to have a panic attack up there , there is no pulling over on a cloud and gathering yourself. You either gather yourself up there or you’re heading straight to the scene of the crash.

Hats off to that ATC!!! Cool, calm, and collective with handling that. I know panic attacks can happen when people are unsure of themselves but he gave her reassurance and did an awesome job to make sure they got down safely 💯💯💯

As a fellow CFI, this is so painful to listen to! You don't set them free until they are ready. Some people are never ready. As the CFI, you need to be the judge of that, not the student, and never when you 'hope' they would be ready. Sending them too early is dangerous. If you don't even know your power settings, or flap settings, or speeds..... you're not ready! This is so painful to watch, as a CFI. :(

The world needs more people like that ATC.

Props to her for landing after freaking herself out. As a student pilot I’ve done the same thing, not with a landing but solo maneuvers over the practice field. I didn’t feel ready to go practice stalls by myself and I voiced that concern to my instructor who sent me anyways and I was practicing a power on stall and about 99% sure I almost threw myself into a spin. Nerves were insane after and I didn’t practice another maneuver that day I just flew back.

Man this is emotional. You can hear the disappointment in the pilot radiate into your soul.

I fly out of Oshawa (CYOO) and this is a great representation of what amazing controllers we have there...they are all great. This is a tough one for the student pilot of FYA, perhaps soloed a little too early, but I hope she stays with it.......hang in there, it gets better fast, and before you know it you will be doing the circuit like a pro.......DIAMONDEYZ Good Luck !!!

Controller here. Major props to that ATC! A calming voice in the cockpit no doubt could’ve very well saved her life there.

She wasn't ready for solo.

That made me tear up for this poor girl. Great job helping her land safely.

Poor girl shouldn't have been up there by herself yet for sure. But good work to calm her down enough to put the plane down, and by the sound of it it's in once piece and they'll probably even get to use the plane again!

Man that ATC was perfect in every way in this situation. Very well done

Three good people doing a great job of dealing with a difficult situation 💪

Must've been a terrifying go around and when you're not getting the performance you expect with little experience it can be extremely frightening. Glad everyone made it out of this safe.

Tower guy is superb

Bravo to the student pilot for keeping it together, to the instructor for maintaining a cool attitude, and especially to the tower for staying calm. I hope the student pilot continues on her journey toward learning to fly. She has survived a level of panic that she can learn from and be stronger.

I can understand the feeling of being overwhelmed the first few times you go up solo. My confidence came from my instructors confidence in me. I looked up to him a lot. It was super scary to go up solo, but also really exciting. I just did what I would normally do with him in the plane and hoped nothing unexpected happened. I do kind of question this instructor for letting her go up when she wasn't ready. But I could understand feeling ready then the panic sets in when you're actually up there and everything is dependent on you. Flying isnt for everyone and id be curious to know if she continues her flight training.

Great work to everyone, and to the student pilot, fantastic job on pulling yourself together and landing safely. Those who have never been alone in an airplane when things are not going as expected can not understand the pressure it can bring. Well done, you will make a fine pilot. Good luck on your next solo and thank you for sharing your experience, it makes us all stronger.

The CFI is so blunt. Not even a “hey xxx” we’re gonna get through this together or literally any kind of encouragement. Nothing.😊

10/10 job on that Controller maintaining a cool and calm voice… Whenever I got nervous on a solo, I just realize I’d done this exact thing dozens of times either with an instructor or in a simulator.

Awesome, awesome job by the tower and instructor.

Great job by tower, but instructor has a lot to explain. Student seems completely unprepared, not using appropriate comms either.

It was heartbreaking to hear her confidence plummet over a go-around, but when she mentioned she thought she needed more power because she was sinking, I felt quite a bit better about her future. She noticed an issue and decided on a correction, despite not being in a great headspace. It's hard to remain calm while you're gaining your experience and despite everything, she aviated and landed safely. And may have bought doughnuts. All in all, well done. If she feels more confident next flight, I'd say it was a very good day of training.

This ATC communications to the Student was very helpful and very professional and the best way is having the patients who they are had to a safe landing

The tower controller has all my respect! Well done both!

I fly out of CYOO never thought I would see it on this channel. I don't think this was her first solo I have heard this student on frequency before practicing circuit's she made some mistakes missing radio calls and some trouble with landings but who hasn't done that when learning. the controllers did a great job and I hope she doesn't let this stop her from flying. and the aircraft is a 152 for anyone wondering.

Some were born to be pilots... some choose not to be. Others get over their fears and overcome their shortcomings to become great pilots. Just remember...If you haven't experience fear or panic when you're flying then you will not have the experience to conquer it when happens....easily. THAT IS WHY YOU ARE A PILOT AND NOT A PASSENGER! *well done to all, especially the pilot who did not give up.

Man these always make me cry.

Pulled on my heart strings, I felt her panic. But everyone did so amazing. Glad she's okay.

Couldn’t have asked for a better outcome for that situation. I feel like you can hear the moment her resignation sets in. Glad the tower and instructor were able to get her back in the game.

As someone whos done their solo not too long ago this was hard to watch. When I went i felt super confident and ready for everything that would come. Even if i had to go around it wouldnt have been the end of the world. Instead it would have just meant that i relized that the approach was unsafe and better to go around. But everything is a learning experience and i hope that she keeps her head up and trusts her tranining.

ATC and the instructor made an excellent team. The pilot kept cool and landed safely. Very good communication.

Oh poor love she had one hell of a panic attack - she’ll have been scared out of her wits. Love how the ATC and Instructor handled her gently. I really hope that this doesn’t put her off and she continues to train. At the end of the day; despite the fear that gripped her; she still completed every instruction given to her and as someone who suffers panic attacks myself, I’m certain she probably won’t have even realised that part of her brain that was taking over and doing the right things she needed to fly and land it. And she did land it - safely. There have been experienced airline pilots in the past, struck with a sudden panic attack who have been rendered totally incapacitated. She can definitely use this experience to become a stronger pilot, once she’s gotten over the initial shock of it.

I had a handful of Air Force UPT students who got scared like her. I was able rebuild all of them back up and get them through the program except for one. This one gal, for some reason, got the bejesus scared out of her and I couldn’t build her confidence back up no matter how hard I tried. She dropped out of UPT and became a physical therapist for the Air Force. I hope she’s doing well these days.

the fact that she managed to land a plane while having a panic attack just shows how gifted of a pilot she is. everyone starts somewhere and even if the first try doesnt go as well as you hope, this proves she has so much potential in this field. excellent work from both the pilot, the controller and the instructor who kept her calm!

WOW! Great team work and communications. This could have ended very differently. A life was likely saved today, Thank You!

That was one of the best ATC to pilot interaction I've heard yet! Great job by the controller. I'm hoping she overcame the fear and continued her training.

Impressive work from the tower managing a difficult situation. That was a full blown panic attack, it’s not easy to get the person to do the right thing in such a situation.

To add to the kudos to the tower ATC, it amazed me how his tone was sympathetic and calming but at the same time professional. This is a fabulous demonstration of highly competent leadership. Enlisting another person to follow your instructions at a time when they are scared and doubting their ability to function. A truly inspirational exchange and a tribute to the ATC profession.

Panic attacks are absolutely debilitating. Glad everything turned out all right. Kudos to all.

ATC needs a dang medal. Awesome.

Amazing grace under pressure for the tower. 👍🏼

The controller did a great job. He was was patient, reassuring and gave the pilot easily understandable instructions. I hope the pilot is able to get more confidence and is able to fly again with no problems.

Absolutely well done everyone! Excellent team work. Always a great deal of compassion for those early days of learning!

Having gone through a failed landing and the subsequent panic while going for my private license, I felt every bit of this. Hats off to the controller, instructor and student. Thanks for the upload.

Great job ATC! Great balance of compassion and professionalism. I can only speak to the mental health aspect of this as a counselor, but he did a fantastic job of letting her know she’s not alone and keeping her task even though all her senses were telling her to flee. He helped her re-engage her prefrontal cortex so it could override her lower brain by giving her calm instructions and staying the course himself. He loaned her his nervous system and it worked.

I just want to give her a hug. She was really scared, but stuck with it.

That was amazing. Way to stay calm and reassuring. Thanks for all you do ATC and Instructor

Isnt the pilot supposed to read back instructions?

Man. I remember having these kinds of panic attacks. On the ground. When people could physically guide me. I cannot imagine how that feeling would gel while you're the only pilot of a plane and you know that you're the only one who can get that thing landed.

As a student pilot, I can totally understand this feeling. You get up there and you just suddenly get that awful feeling of doubt and anxiety that you're going to mess up. Everything you learned and feel like you mastered with the CFI on the right seat seems to just go blank. And after the first landing "confirms" you don't know what you're doing, you then just feel... trapped. You have to land, but you forgot how! There's no escape but to land safely. I've never had a panic attack like this, but there's been times I overthink and double-guess myself. Did I miss a checklist item? Are the winds getting worse? Am I going to do something REALLY stupid like land on the wrong runway? I hope the student's feeling better and doesn't give up.

Outstanding job by the Controller! The CFI and her student have a lot of work to do, I wish them the best of luck.

Awesome team work and hope the pilot gets up in the air again soon! Rooting for you.

That instructor had no business sending her up there. I've been in a similar situation as a student and it felt like they wanted me to solo the day I started. Instructors, you need to relax and let your students tell you they're ready. Stop pushing them like this. If you have to give basic instructions about airspeed and altitude to your student on a *3 mile* final, THEY ARE NOT READY.

I soloed very early, not many training hours in, I remember being a bit scared but everything went ok. Certainly felt sorry for this girl. Later in my life of flying, I would experience an engine shut down, a particularly terrible weather landing... and was up to the task. Credits: to my CFI Bruce who would bring his dog Angus along during training. Hope you're still flying buddy.

Great to see a controller who is so understanding and helpful

I really appreciate all involved. I’m not a pilot but been in situations where panic is contagious but so is being calm.

poor thing, sounded terrified