flyinthebug wrote:A few months ago I did a video on youtube, that explained my crash and survival of my Beaver crash in 2008.
About 7 mins of the 11 mins are about the crash and 4 mins or so about my Near Death Experience.
I`ve had a few pilot friends of mine suggest I should post it here and see what kinda comments I might get.
According to TC, I was the 1st pilot to survive an "unsurvivable" crash (their stats and words) in a DHC2 with a full engine failure below 400' since 1994...and there was only one other they knew of in Canada since they starting keeping stats.
As for my anonymous handle on here...I have posted my real name to posts in the past and for job offers from our company, so all it would take is a search to find where I signed my name. Like ., I stand behind the words I type on here and have no problem if people know who I am.
To those who take the time to view the video, thank you, and I invite your comments (good or bad).
I just watched your YouTube video...amazing! I love your story, it is awesome...I'm fairly certain I remember this accident when it happened, I grew up in the area. I'm glad you're ok, and sorry so many people are making stupid comments about fuel and blah blah...obviously not the point. Something terrible happened, and you somehow survived - that is so great to hear about
At my first flying job there were 2 of us and 2 180's working for a mom and pop outpost operator. The other guy rolled his 180 in a ball after dropping his father and several friends off at a camp. He miraculously survived with little more than some bruising from his lap and shoulder belts. We we're both low timers I had 300 hours and he was the experienced guy with 600
What happened was it was a glassy water take off and he broke water and dumped the flap right away. (yes dumb move but i digress)
When he pushed the Johnson bar down (the boss never wanted us to just let it fall to the floor) he inadvertently pushed forward on the yoke with a slight bank. The right float tip struck the water and dug in, twisting the airplane up onto it's nose and wing tip, just like the beaver video from the movie The Mother Load. And came to rest upside down. He took several mouthfulls of gassy water trying to get the door open but finally had to go out the window. thank goodness the arm that hlds the window open had been removed.
When we pulled the airplane out of the water, we found the battery wedged in between the rudder pedals. This guy was about 6'1" and 220 lbs. How that battery never hit him we'll never know.
After getting him out of the bush I came into our cabin and he was sitting on his bed with his bags packed waiting for the boss to come in and tear him a new one and send him down the road.
Instead, and I was as shocked as he was cause our boss could be a hard ass. He came, and balled his eyes out telling him how grateful he was that he was alive. And that he wasn't going anywhere.
I've got tears just thinking about it.
The boss told him to unpack his bags cause moose hunt was coming. He paid him his full pilot wage the rest of the season. He didn't fly revenue, but 2 days later it was a beautiful fall day and the boss came in and said lets go, your driving. There were no guests in camp and no work to do that day they just went for a ride.
It was good medicine for all of us.
P.S.
That pilot flew for the family until they sold the business 10 years later.
A great thread. High & Behind, your story strikes a chord with me. I worked for some real hard asses in my day and yet when it came down to it, they had a heart to of gold.
