AOPA's Air Safety Institute Releases New Real Pilot Story

In the latest video, Real Pilot Story: Danger over the Desert, ferry pilot Kerry McCauley speaks about a mission he elected to abandon—the only time in his career he has chosen to do so—due to safety concerns with the aircraft.

In 2015, McCauley was hired to ferry a Piper Navajo from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Thailand. During a dust storm over the Arabian Peninsula, he lost both vacuum pumps and is forced to shut down his right engine due to an oil leak. He manages to land safely in Oman, but he cuts his mission short when the aircraft’s owner attempts to pressure him to continue on with the defective engine.

“In this real pilot story, we learn about aeronautical decision making in a very difficult situation,” AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Vice President Mike Ginter said. “McCauley makes the choice to press on during an emergency but draws the line when he’s asked to continue his journey in an aircraft that is clearly unsafe.”

“Some of the other lessons pilots can learn from this story include the prudence of maintaining proficiency at partial panel flying, staying calm in exceedingly challenging conditions and thoroughly knowing your aircraft’s systems,” Ginter added. “Every pilot can encounter any and all of these problems, during any flight.”

“When he lost his engine, McCauley knew exactly what he was dealing with—and made the tough decision to discontinue the job,” Ginter said.

View Real Pilot Story: Danger over the Desert, which is sponsored by Sporty’s, here.