The Principles Of Aviation Mastery - Radio Communications 

Damn I hate that accident! I’ve studied it many times and it makes me angry and sad every single time.

This is an excellent video & example of a pilot who needed to say no to ATC. SO many pilots think they have to follow every ATC instruction. I have been flying for 54 years & ATC tower for 10 - 4 of those at busy southern California airports.

After watching this, if I ever get into a situation like this, I would tell tower "negative, you can ask traffic behind to go around". If they give you a number to call, you can quote this accident.

The thing that struck me is how many times she was cleared to land....

I am no pilot and am pretty new to all this. With that in mind I counted: 6 runway changes, 7 different voices and "unable" was said, as you stated, 0 times

My biggest fear in aviation is radio communications and learning the pilot language. I will remember to operate the airplane first and then communicate on the radio. Your RU-vid Chanel helps me alot.

Great reminder about being assertive when needed. Happy Birthday MzeroA- You’ve taught me so much. Thanks Jason.

You make great videos, thank you. Comment and question: I love aviation and spend a lot of time learning about it and watching videos on it. One aviation technology that I think could use much improvement is the quality of radio communications. In this day and age of satellite GPS and satellite phone communications, why are we still using communications over VHF frequencies? Why not digital communications to/from ATC-to-satellite-and-to-aircraft? Such communications would be crystal clear and impervious to altitude or terrain. It's the 21st century. It's about time. You could even design the equipment in the airplane so you would still enter the appropriate COM frequency for communicating with ATC, as per VFR/IFR charts and airport information. The onboard equipment would just encode that target destination COM frequency into the digital audio signal sent up to an appropriate satellite, down to ATC and then back again on its way to the pilot. The delays in transmission would be minimal if the satellites are in low earth orbit of 1000 miles up or so and if appropriate COM satellites are placed over large cities or other areas of the country. Delays of just a fraction of a second would be possible. I suppose the pilot would still be FAR required to monitor VHF communications, to remain aware of local traffic situations. The communications over VHF radio would continue as well, in order to remain compatible with existing aircraft that do not have the newer satellite setup. Note that if the transponder code issued to an airplane by ATC is embedded into the information transmitted to/from the COM satellite, then the pilot could optionally filter the incoming satellite communications and not hear the audio meant for other aircrafts. In addition, with the location of the aircraft, the ATC communications would properly encode the transmission for reception by only the appropriate closest target plane to location of ATC, to account for the case of the same VHF frequencies used in multiple places over the country. The above technology would certainly enhance safety for GA aviation. I wonder if this type of request can be made from AOPA or other GA pilot organizations. The support of such GA special interest groups would be needed in Congress to request the required funds for the study and implementation. I just wonder if all this would be feasible and affordable.

Excellent presentation with some great points. I remember when this accident first happened that two stark realities struck me. One, The pilot abdicated her authority as PIC to ATC. Big mistake. Two, ATC happily crawled inside her cockpit and took over. Bigger mistake.

Awesome awareness Jason, thanks for sharing, am a bit troubled by the “Pilot assertiveness” finding?? No ATC finding? Also appreciate your conversation about position in the pattern with planes of different performance.

Really enjoyed listenting to this video. Clear and concise. Kudos!

Got to your channel as recommended by YT, luv it. Thanks and subbed 👍

Great information. Thank you. Has helped me as a student pilot tremendously. All of your videos.

Hey there! Really enjoying the videos that MzeroA puts out! They have been a fantastic supplement to my own flight training and ground school. I've been watching some of the videos when I want to cement a certain concept in my head. They've been great for helping me get flight principles ingrained. I am a student pilot with ~10 hrs preparing to solo for the first time this weekend. My instructor noted that whenever I am making radio communication with ATC my flying tends to get a little sloppy, which led me here. Unfortunately the lesson I learned today was one that cost the pilot and her passengers their lives. I read some other comments, but my thoughts are from the perspective of a mint green pilot. I was confused why they would ask her for a go around when she was initially going to land. That part was forgivable if there rest of the scenario hadn't unfolded so poorly. When the ATC told her to turn L with a heading of 30, that is from the perspective of the aircraft correct? Then they sounded confused when she didn't do a R turn to base on Rwy 4. This is the point I would have been confused with ATC instructions. It sounded like they were trying to coach her in, but I think at any level if ATC has to coach you in at all, landing on a rwy experiencing 18-20 KIAS wouldn't be a good option. I was naive to think that when you prefaced accident before the video of the event that it was a crash landing or something. As someone just being his flying, I know exactly the feeling that the pilot felt right before bringing up the flaps the last time. You want to concentrate so hard on what ATC is saying so that you don't seem like you dont know what you're doing. No one want to feel embarrassed. You listen carefully so you hear the exact instruction, but in doing so, divert attention from other important aspects. As this is a mistake I am prone to make, this video has cemented a few key things for me. 1. Fly the airplane first - nothing matters besides a safe takeoff, a safe flight, and a safe landing. 2. Be assertive - it is impossible for ATC to know a pilot's skill level. I am the master of my own plane. I know the levels of my own skills. 3. If there's even a medium hesitation as to the safety of a landing, deny ATC by saying "unable" and let THEM know what you would like to do. Again, so sad that this mistake cost their lives. Thanks for being able to shed light on the incident to provide a learning opportunity. If you could answer my question about what way she should have turned that would be great. Again, enjoying your videos! Thanks, Nathan

As someone with only 30 hours flight time, I would leave the airspace and try for a different airfield. Additionally, not to put blame on the controllers but it seemed that they were not thinking ahead with their requests. With that being said, the pilot should have not put themselves and stayed in that situation;just like driving when angry, flying when not feeling well is dangerous

excelent video, thanks for it

If I could make any contribution to the FAA it would be to change the verbiage in the FAR/AIM to state "Procedure Controlled" and remove "Pilot Controlled". Jason saying "Not everyone follows the rules" is a direct result of the mentality that when entering the terminal environment of on non-towered field it is the pilot who is in control. If 5 different pilots entering that environment each thinking he or she has control is the exact reason why no one follows the rules. It doesn't require rewriting the rules. This just puts emphasis on following the already established rules. I have an awesome learning experience flying into KLBX (Texas Gulf Coast Regional), which has increased in air traffic due to this accident at Hobby. I shared my experience with the CFI doing my Flight review shortly after my flight to KLBX. It was his rebuke of what I had done, even though I was success, that made me reconsider my mindset when flying into an airfield without ATC. I would have alleviated confusion in the pattern had I just followed the procedure. Humility is the hardest characteristic to teach a pilot. I am grateful that CFI had the courage to keep me honest. Of the 5 hazardous attitudes "Resignation" is the only one that doesn't involve pride. As you can read I am passionate about this one topic. I fear only two things, snakes and midair collisions.....haha

I love that radio communication it clearly for students understanding.

The desaster started with accepting rwy 35. Under these wind conditions, she should have insisted on getting rwy 04 again, even if that meant a longer downwind.

Thanks Jason: You have inspired me to pursue training out of my comfort zone

ATC should have done a better job, they were clearly prioritizing the larger aircraft. It should be first come first serve regardless of the size or speed of the aircraft. This just burns me up because I would definitely "TELL" ATC that I need to land NOW and then it's up to them to make room for me, if not, I'm landing on the taxiway.

happy birthday MzeroA !!!

Great reminder about using the word unable!! I have listen to that before, and one advise stuck to me, she should have told tower to make the jets go around she was unable to go around due to low fuel, those jets carry more fuel on board and are better equipped to go around, that was way too many instructions

Could you request a heading and altitude that would give you a few minutes to reset and start over?

There are a ton of class C, and D airports in Houston to divert too instead of sticking around Hobby that long with that much conflict of radio communication

I fly around Houston, approach here seems to like the Who & Where together in the first call.

Love it!

Can you post the in flight coffee on here so i can watch /listen later. Thanks for all you do

I know this accident. About 3-4 runway changes, many controllers, and not one “unable”. The best course of action would’ve been to fly to a class C or D airport, or flew Southwest.

I’ve heard this recording many times. Such a sad event

Ever changing invisible world

Depending on my fuel, I would've gone to the nearest small GA airport. I was defeated after the 3rd go around just watching this !

I would of asked her to take right or left circuit for runway 04, and while on downwind, orbit while the 737 was on final, then turn base 04 then final behind the 737 (with adequate distance). What do you think ?

Could the pilot have asked to go into a hold, inorder to get themselves back in front of the aircraft?

As you said, the word “unable “ was never used. I’m still trying to figure out why the rwy 35 landing was accepted given the winds at the time. Sad story.....

if that was me after the second re routing of me i would have said i am confused and im unable, because the controllers kept changing things plus making her do the go around and it kinda put her out of sync and each time she was in line for final they had to deviate her yet again, ... if i had the fuel and the time i might have even opted for a near by air port if possible as that was not really working out in her particular time and situation -- on a side note i hope she survived and is okay, did she ?

unable,.... tell the jet to go around! you cleared me to land 3 times already....

That ATC conversation was so, so frustrating to listen to

i say, I'm confused and unconfuse me. I want to land on runway 4 sequence me in. if not, I will divert to another closest airport.

The pilot and two others were killed in this accident. I'm not interested as a pilot in blaming ATC normally, but this was unacceptable. Whoever supervises the tower controllers and allows this kind of lack of communication to go on should be investigated. Several controllers seemed to have no idea what the other controllers were telling her. She had fault as well as the video covered, but ATC really dropped the ball. Rest In Peace Dana, Tony & Jerry

I would have said, I’m going to leave the area and have you resequence me for runway 4. I would have accepted the runway change to 35, but not the subsequent ones to RW 4. I would have said “unable, I’m lined up for 35, as instructed.”

I fly from a "pilot controlled airport" Talking to ATC just scares me-I have no idea why. What is the correct wording when flying through class "C" airspace VFR? Not landing, just passing through?

What happened to the woman who put all the flaps down??

100% would’ve diverted to KDWH

AS PIC i would had diverted to another airport , I would have put that in my flight plan

That was incredibly frustrating. That terrible atc.

Communication is the big thing. Don`t be so silent. Talk to others.

I would have suggested to go to another local airport

I'm pretty sure if you weren't in Aviation, you would have been a Pastor. Great video once again!

when did thy start saying ''hobby'' for 'H', i have always known it as ''hotel''

Sobering..

Runway 4 Or Runway 35 ???????

That’s just sad.

What does 'Cleared to land' in the US actually mean?

Really sad

These controllers are absolutely ridiculous

She was trying to be agreeable- esp because of sexism. Don't ever be afraid to be called a "bitch."

So sad

12:53 terrible controlling.

Too many changes of directives.