AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE PRESENTS "REAL PILOT STORY: FROM MISCUE TO RESCUE"

May 18, 2015,

          Contact: Steve Hedges
                        301-695-2159
                        [email protected]

 FREDERICK, MD – A new “Real Pilot Story” video produced by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s (AOPA) Air Safety Institute chronicles the lessons learned from the harrowing experience of a California pilot, his wife, and daughter during a seemingly routine flight that ended with a mountainside crash and rescue.

The VFR flight of N4640L, a Cessna 172 that departed Lodi, Calif., (1O3) on a May 2012 flight to Mountain Home, Idaho, (MUO) ended abruptly when lowering ceilings forced pilot Brian Brown into a canyon where his plane impacted a 60-degree slope. Brown and his wife were injured in the crash, and his daughter was able to call 911, leading to a successful search and rescue mission in extreme conditions.

In the video, Brown describes the flight, acknowledges his misjudgments and offers useful lessons. A professional fire fighter, he also recalls how his emergency response training proved invaluable, and that all pilots and their passengers should be prepared to spend a night or two surviving in the terrain they fly over.

A “mission-driven mindset made me to take some risks that I wouldn’t have normally taken,” Brown said. “And here I found myself just slowly and slowly and slowly convincing myself that this flight was safe enough to continue.”

Air Safety Institute (ASI) Real Pilot Stories offer detailed accounts of accidents or incidents in a pilot’s or passenger’s own voice – they tell what happened, why it happened and offer advice to help other pilots fly more safely.

Since 1950, ASI has served all pilots and aviation enthusiasts—not just AOPA members—by providing free safety education programs, analyzing safety data and conducting safety research. ASI offers award-winning online courses, nearly 200 live seminars annually throughout the U.S., flight instructor refresher courses, safety videos, accident case studies and other materials to keep pilot safe and well informed. To learn more, visit ASI.

ABOUT AOPA

Since 1939, AOPA has protected the freedom to fly for thousands of pilots, aircraft owners and aviation enthusiasts. AOPA is the world’s largest aviation member association, with representatives based in Frederick, Md., Washington, D.C., Wichita, Kans., and seven regions across the United States. AOPA provides member services that range from advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels to legal services, flight planning products, safety programs and award-winning media. To learn more, visit www.aopa.org. 

- AOPA –

15-2-013