Crashed

[slurvin]

Hello, I've been reading this board for a coupe of months and I really enjoy it.

I have a little over 50 hours flight time and thought I wanted to be a Naval Aviator until a couple of days ago. My problem is that my instructor and I crashed the plane when we were landing, due to wind gusts we believe (still under investigation). We were fine but I was shaken up to say the least and I don't know what to do about flying now.

I loved to fly, but now I'm a little scared and confused about what I want to do. I am in high school and was close to taking my checkride for PPL. Has something similar happened to anyone here? because everyone tells me I should just get back on the horse so to speak and continue to fly.

The Navy and the Marines are what I see in my future, but everything is so confusing right now, any pilots out here have any suggestions for me? Thanks, Slurvin

 

[MasterBates]

Yes. Crashing sucks. It happens. Find out what the hell happened, and learn from it.

Been there, done that. TWICE. I broke my femur, and had compression fractures in my neck.

Get back on the horse.. Sooner than later preferably. The sooner you can get back up, the sooner you can kick the doubt demons out of your head.

 

[millerjd]

Hello, I've been reading this board for a coupe of months and I really enjoy it.

I have a little over 50 hours flight time and thought I wanted to be a Naval Aviator until a couple of days ago. My problem is that my instructor and I crashed the plane when we were landing, due to wind gusts we believe (still under investigation). We were fine but I was shaken up to say the least and I don't know what to do about flying now.

I loved to fly, but now I'm a little scared and confused about what I want to do. I am in high school and was close to taking my checkride for PPL. Has something similar happened to anyone here? because everyone tells me I should just get back on the horse so to speak and continue to fly.

The Navy and the Marines are what I see in my future, but everything is so confusing right now, any pilots out here have any suggestions for me? Thanks, Slurvin

I worked as a fuel boy at a flight school, and saw my fair share of 172 accidents. Don't take this as solid information, just my experience....

Every crash that involved a non-private pilot (Student), even when solo-ing, were at the responsibility of the flight instructor. Not when soloing, but the instructor is Pilot In Command whenever you are receiving instruction.

I've seen a solo student trash a plane within $10k of being a write-off (mechanics were pissed), and nothing went on his recored.

I have also seen a student get chased down by F-16s for flying a plane with the hijack squawk code. He was flown back to the airport (imagine being escorted by F-16 in a 172!) and he was acquitted because he was a student. He was scared crapless from the event, and most likely he forgot to check the transponder while someone was playing a bad joke (flight school across the street was notorious for stupid things like that). He returned to flight within a month.

I can't speak for your crash, but I hope you get back to flying, sh!t happens, and help the FAA/NTSB with their investigation to the best of your ability.

 

[FLY_USMC]

I was pushing an ice laiden Piper into a T-Hangar once, slipped, and hit my melon on the leading edge.....so needless to say....I've had my share of airplane accidents. The difference is I sucked it up and continued to make gold records.

 

[MasterBates]

I was pushing an ice laiden Piper into a T-Hangar once, slipped, and hit my melon on the leading edge.....so needless to say....I've had my share of airplane accidents. The difference is I sucked it up and continued to make gold records.

I think this post proves that FLY_USMC actually DID hit his head..

Oh, and 2000th post for me.. Catching up to FLY NAVY's post whoring, one day at a time.

 

[bunk22]

Tough one. You might have nightmares, wake in a sweat, those sort of things. It might take a long time to forget about it but it will fade. Can't change the past, best thing is to learn from it and move one. Big thing is, you walked away. If you decide not to fly again, as a pilot, can you live with that decision 20 years from now? If you decide to continue, it'll probably make you stronger down the road. I speak from experience here. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[zacharyj53]

Haven't crashed but had the engine quit on me on my second solo. It was right after takeoff and I was only about 1000 ft in the air. Setup for emergency landing and got the engine back up. Got back in the pattern and landed it. That plane went to get worked on and I went right back up in another plane. If you wait too long you will never go back up.

 

[zippy]

I loved to fly, but now I'm a little scared and confused about what I want to do. I am in high school and was close to taking my checkride for PPL. Has something similar happened to anyone here? because everyone tells me I should just get back on the horse so to speak and continue to fly.

The Navy and the Marines are what I see in my future, but everything is so confusing right now, any pilots out here have any suggestions for me? Thanks, Slurvin

Maybe a simplistic way of rationalizing it, but- Ever been in a car crash? Were you shaken up? Did you get back behind the wheel/in a car?

I don't have first hand experience with this, but I know people who do. They didn't let their fears after their crashes stop them from pursuing something they love doing.

You say you are in High School. Perhaps this is your first experience to cause realize that you are indeed mortal. The important thing is you both walked away. You can't always control everything, but don't let your fears control you.

 

[MattWSU]

Hello, I've been reading this board for a coupe of months and I really enjoy it.

I have a little over 50 hours flight time and thought I wanted to be a Naval Aviator until a couple of days ago. My problem is that my instructor and I crashed the plane when we were landing, due to wind gusts we believe (still under investigation). We were fine but I was shaken up to say the least and I don't know what to do about flying now.

I loved to fly, but now I'm a little scared and confused about what I want to do. I am in high school and was close to taking my checkride for PPL. Has something similar happened to anyone here? because everyone tells me I should just get back on the horse so to speak and continue to fly.

The Navy and the Marines are what I see in my future, but everything is so confusing right now, any pilots out here have any suggestions for me? Thanks, Slurvin

Get back on the horse...as everyone has said in here, things happen. I'm a senior in high school and got my PPL about a month ago. It wasn't easy. You'll run into hurdles like this all the time in your life. Sack up, and get back in the cockpit.

I had an engine failure on my first solo x-country. Was in the pattern at the other airport and got it down on the runway fine. The FBO took a look at it and determined that fouled plugs were to blame. Apparently not the first time that had happened with that a/c.

 

[millerjd]

Put in Top Gun, watch the Prowler Porn videos, or chair fly delivering mail in a C2, whatever got you moist in the first place.

I took my parents SUV into a ravine in college and one of the first things they did once I recovered was to stick me in the brand new one the insurance company got them and told me to drive it.

 

[MattWSU]

Put in Top Gun, watch the Prowler Porn videos, or chair fly delivering mail in a C2, whatever got you moist in the first place.

I took my parents SUV into a ravine in college and one of the first things they did once I recovered was to stick me in the brand new one the insurance company got them and told me to drive it.

I think there's a good story to be had behind this.

 

[A4sForever]

.... to say the least and I don't know what to do about flying now. ....I loved to fly, but now I'm a little scared and confused about what I want to do...

Confused?? Scared?? That's what you need to come to grips with ... sit down and do some introspection. Do I want to fly or not???

If "yes" ... then saddle up ASAP and learn how to handle those X-Winds.

If "no" ... then don't worry about it and move on with the rest of your life.

I've crashed twice ... one in civie street, one in the military, had many near misses, a few incidents, many, many emergencies ... some serious, some not so serious.

There was one constant throughout all of them. They pissed me off and made me want to come back and do better the "next time" ...

 

[FelixTheGreat]

I haven't had any crashes but there have definatly been times that have shaken me up. Don't sweat it. I am a CFI, I tell my students who get shaken up for whatever reason that a good pilot always needs to evaluate what has happened and apply what you have learned. Things like this happen in aviation and if the flight instructor was worth anything he would have taken care of the situation and not let it progress into an accident. Apply what you have learned, get back in the airplane, and hire a new instuctor.

 

[millerjd]

I think there's a good story to be had behind this.

Best Christmas-Eve Ever

 

[MIDNJAC]

I haven't had any crashes but there have definatly been times that have shaken me up. Don't sweat it. I am a CFI, I tell my students who get shaken up for whatever reason that a good pilot always needs to evaluate what has happened and apply what you have learned. Things like this happen in aviation and if the flight instructor was worth anything he would have taken care of the situation and not let it progress into an accident. Apply what you have learned, get back in the airplane, and hire a new instuctor.

Top Gun couldn't have said it any better :icon_tong