Youtube Pilot and her dad perish in TN

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Huh. The last 30 minutes were kind of a wild ride with altitude excursions, but nothing really in the way of unusual heading changes. The final ads-b ping was about -7000fpm and 182kts groundspeed at 4300’MSL.

The weather was about as good as it can be. Daytime and severe clear. Not much in the way of wind, and no airmets anywhere nearby.
 
Flying Keys said:
The last 30 minutes were kind of a wild ride with altitude excursions
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Trying to figure out the purpose of several, apparently methodical drops and climbs. Stall practice? Mechanical issue? other?
 
I bet there will be recoverable video at the scene!
 
Cluemeister said:
Trying to figure out the purpose of several, apparently methodical drops and climbs. Stall practice? Mechanical issue? other?
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She talks about autopilot issues. Wonder if she might have been impaired (CO? meds?) plus having an autopilot on the fritz. Bet this gets taken down soon so you might want to watch it. Not encouraging to see her comprehension or lack of it.
 
Piperonca said:

She talks about autopilot issues. Wonder if she might have been impaired (CO? meds?) plus having an autopilot on the fritz. Bet this gets taken down soon so you might want to watch it. Not encouraging to see her comprehension or lack of it.
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Those kinds of things persisted in another video of likely same instructor and again with her father. She was going to move to another instructor.
 
Piperonca said:

She talks about autopilot issues. Wonder if she might have been impaired (CO? meds?) plus having an autopilot on the fritz. Bet this gets taken down soon so you might want to watch it. Not encouraging to see her comprehension or lack of it.
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Based on that, I’d put potential autopilot issues, including the co-possibilities of runaway trim and/or PEBCAC, as a strong contender. “I’m going to test it out on a longer trip (!)” That video is from less than two months ago. Look at the altitude on several previous cross-country (non-airwork) flights since mid October, and with the exception of one, there are quite a few significant, sudden altitude deviations (and subsequent recoveries).

If you look at the flightpath of the fatal flight, it really does look like there might have been several attempts at troubleshooting altitude hold. Looking at that last dive, maybe the last attempt exceeded the aircraft’s limitations, especially if it was suddenly disengaged with the elevator held or trimmed in deep deflection.

She was carrying a squawk code most of the latter part of the flight, so there’s a good chance she was talking to somebody like Memphis Center.
 
RIP - shame...

God, I feel bad saying this about the deceased but watching her videos is just... ugh. A mix of sad and frustrating.

Between the aircraft malfunction video, the video posted above, and the "training with my dad" video -- there's a lot of red flags. No one seems to know how to fully use the airplane. The A/P usage is particularly bad b/c she repeatedly relies on it even though it's clearly not working as intended.

I can't shake the feeling that had she spent more time with the AP manual and POH, and less time video editing to make insta-perfect youTube clips it might have saved both their lives. But that's speculation.

And the CFII... That guy looks like he's not a day over 18. That's my nightmare for an instructor. Not the experience and wisdom I want riding right seat in a Debonair, personally.

Will be interested in hearing what NTSB says. I sadly will not be surprised if this is an entirely unforced error. RIP, though. A life cut short. Sad to think just 6 days ago posted a video where she flew her friend to Lexington so they could look to buy a trainer plane of their own.
 
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Yes, the autopilot issues. She was on her way to Arkansas to upgrade the avionics, including the autopilot.
 
"Between the aircraft malfunction video, the video posted above, and the "training with my dad" video -- there's a lot of red flags."
Amen, her Youtube videos do not instill confidence in her skills. Wow
 
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Flying Keys said:
Look at the altitude on several previous cross-country (non-airwork) flights since mid October, and with the exception of one, there are quite a few significant, sudden altitude deviations (and subsequent recoveries).
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You weren't kidding about the altitude variations on previous flights. Checked out the flight aware and wow. IDK if that's the work of an unintended A/P, or if she was not good at maintaining altitude and that's why she wanted A/P so much. Even the successful XC flights have really strange profiles.. ones like this where it looks like more altitude drift more than an intentional climb and descent.

Drifting for no discernable reason.
1702174412562.png

vs intentional
1702174867392.png
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
You weren't kidding about the altitude variations on previous flights. Checked out the flight aware and wow. IDK if that's the work of an unintended A/P, or if she was not good at maintaining altitude and that's why she wanted A/P so much. Even the successful XC flights have really strange profiles.. ones like this where it looks like more altitude drift more than an intentional climb and descent.

Drifting for no discernable reason.
View attachment 123145

vs intentional
View attachment 123148
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This is the one that made my brow furrow the most:

IMG_1658.jpeg
 
This is tragic and a waste. A competent instructor should have taught her to command the airplane with pitch and power. Then make it hold a heading and an altitude. Do some maneuvers. Then and only then let her play with buttons. There are so many ipads, iphones, gopros, and doodads in that cockpit it gives me an ADD fit just looking at it. That unfortunate woman was poorly served by whoever gave her lessons. The accident investigation's final report writes itself.
 
Piperonca said:
This is tragic and a waste. A competent instructor should have taught her to command the airplane with pitch and power. Then make it hold a heading and an altitude. Do some maneuvers. Then and only then let her play with buttons. There are so many ipads, iphones, gopros, and doodads in that cockpit it gives me an ADD fit just looking at it. That unfortunate woman was poorly served by whoever gave her lessons. The accident investigation's final report writes itself.
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You make a good argument. Holding an attitude and heading while flying VFR manually is taught on the first lesson out of the traffic pattern, and many more afterwards. I can't remember any details about it, but I didn't have very many hours before it became an innate ability that required little conscious monitoring. It's basic stuff.

I won't be watching any of the videos. I always mourn those lost in GA mishaps, no matter the circumstances. That her father also perished has made the family tragedy even greater. I wish them peace.
 
I watched a couple of the videos. I don't feel qualified to comment much on flying skills. I was expecting cocky/aggressive, but I didn't see that at all. My take, she seemed intelligent, probably driven, confident but introspective, not arrogant. From how the sites read, seems like a small business owner, 45, that got their PPL about a year ago and was working on their instrument rating. Clearly loved flying.

Young woman and her dad went out flying and didn't make it back. It's just sad.
 
Pitch, power, trim.

Somewhere along the line it appears one was an afterthought in training. Fly the plane and quit pushing buttons.
 
I am going to withhold judgement on the CFII as she was in charge of the editing. He does mention turning off the AP, handflying to correct altitude, then turning AP back on. Instead she looks at the AP and holds a button for a long time.
 
4RNB said:
I am going to withhold judgement on the CFII as she was in charge of the editing. He does mention turning off the AP, handflying to correct altitude, then turning AP back on. Instead she looks at the AP and holds a button for a long time.
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I watched a few out of curiosity. The only CFII question I have is one I would have without this tragic ending. Are there any videos where she was wearing a view-limiting device during instrument training?

Sad.
 
Yes, there was a video where she was wearing the frosted glasses version of a VLD. As an instructor, one of the first things I noticed was how the former instructor kept intervening. He wasn’t encouraging, or requiring, her to be PIC. I can imagine that an instructor might not want to discourage her with tough love, but it appears it was probably needed. Kudos to her for loving airplanes and flying. Sad that she was the recipient of poor instruction and was caught up in ‘automation fascination’, and that she had a preoccupation with YouTubing while trying to learn.
 
The instructor appeared to be acting out the role of a new 121 copilot.
 
Very sad indeed. RIP.

This is not the place to ask the question, so I have started a thread over on Pilot Training...
 
So has anyone analyzed the ATC recordings of this tragic accident? I imagine the actual recordings have been pulled offline pending the investigation, but it would be a very important piece of information for sorting out what happened. I watched several of her videos and that autopilot malfunction seems to be the best candidate. Maybe she needed just to shut the thing off and hand-fly. But I"m in no position to advise or judge.
 
What I see in way too many videos is people being overly encouraging when poor airmanship is on display. “You’re doing so well!” “You got this.” “I love watching your videos.” Etc, all made by people who are obviously not pilots.

And the comments in which pilots/CFIs weigh in with constructive critique often get downvoted or are subject to defensiveness from the original poster.

Some people need a large dose of humility and if they happen to be receptive of that, they’re sure not making it known.

Either way, I clamp a GoPro to the ceiling, over my shoulder. My videos are for me only, to review and learn from any mistakes (and for insurance, like a dashcam). I hit go and forget about it until the aircraft is shut down. I have caught several things that I’ve since worked to improve.
 
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