http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nm8pNgqBAk



Thanks qmdv

Well, I'm usually the very last guy in the room to call the FAA or scold someone about the rulebook... but that has to be the most stupid thing I've seen anyone do in an airplane in a long time. I would definitely drop a dime on that guy, just because that kind of crap with passengers on board could affect my ability to go out and fly next time.

I thought I had done some stupid s**t in my youth, and I did, but I only endangered my own stupid ass !

Was that pilot instrument rated? He put two people in mortal danger in addition to himself.

Too bad the camers didn't get the entire N number. "God watches over fools and pilots", as they say. This time both at once.

Damn this makes me mad.

what a DUMB ASS

I'm just glad he shared the video. Give us a chance to reinforce what we know and call someone else a fool.

I hope we learn and pass it on.

Nice find Zane!

patrol guy wrote:Nice find Zane!

qmdv posted it in the topo maps thread. I've also seen it posted on sc.org. I have a feeling it's going to be a much talked about video in the next week, all over the Internet.

TomKatz wrote:I'm just glad he shared the video. Give us a chance to reinforce what we know and call someone else a fool.

I hope we learn and pass it on.

This brings up an interesting question: If you found yourself as a passenger in that plane, what would you have done?

tom ?

If in the back seat, my finely polished skills that I learned in the navy would automatically have kicked in. You know, those taught us when we were in for imminent nuclear attack. I would have put my head down between my legs and kissed my ass good by.

If in the front seat, you put a round through his lungs and take controle of the plane.

Tim

Maybe it was a good thing he had passengers. The good Lord was watching out for somebody that day, and I doubt it was the reckless (understated) ...pilot. What a jerk. Should do jail time.

Savannah-Tom wrote:This brings up an interesting question: If you found yourself as a passenger in that plane, what would you have done?

That's a good case for profiling your fellow pilot prior to ever getting into an airplane with him. I flew with a few guys early on who nowadays I would never fly with, and I'll probably read about them someday unfortunately.

There's no harm in declining an invitation, and no plane is so cool that I'd let myself get into that situation.

If I'm going to make stupid mistakes, it will be as PIC!

What was up with the fighter?

Unbelievable! Sort of makes me wonder how often things like this happen that aren't caught on video? I know that in certain places, some pilots scud run close to and below terrain day after day out of necessity. I figure that one's comfort zone is relative, but This situation demonstrates blatant hubris, terrible judgment and an absolute lack of regard for the lives of his passengers. I wonder if he thought that he was well clear of terrain? They were all very lucky that the pilot's decisions didn't kill everybody on board, and he should deeply regret this incident, and fully examine whether or not he is responsible enough to act as the pilot in command again.

Perpetuating the "Bonanza Owners" myth.

It ain't close till the first coat of paint comes off?

Not hard to find his n-number on the internet. Whats gonna happen?

Well, find his number then whynotfly can send him to jail.

Tim

I couldn't stop thinking about this video last night. I don't think this is a case of a VFR-only pilot screwing up and bumbling into IMC. If it were, he'd be doing something about it, not just ambling along. It just doesn't make any sense.

I think it's even worse -- I bet this guy is instrument rated. Disregarding the crummy weather ("hey, I'm rated!"), they took off VFR since they were going to be in formation doing a photo shoot. The airplane has every gadget under the sun in the panel, so when the should have turned around due to weather, he probably thought to himself that he could go IFR without a clearance as long as he stayed low enough to remain in class G over the mountains and clear terrain by using nothing but the terrain database on his 696... a stunning lack of judgement to say the least.

This is the best illustration I've ever seen that ratings and equipment don't stand a chance against crappy judgement.

At an AOPA blog, they have out the tail number: N65335 Bonanza
http://i38.tinypic.com/a1poqs.jpgred

What an idiot. This should be more than just an FAA loss-of-licence matter - 'reckless endangerment' at least..