Scott

I want to weigh in on the recent cash of the lear jet in Florida. As someone who started flying at 15, had an aerobatic coach by 20, and has flown everything from seaplanes to stunt planes my entire life, I know exactly how unforgiving aviation can be. As many of you know, I even survived a major amphibious aircraft crash myself, flipping upside down underwater in the Allegheny River flying with my dad. First, let's put the age and experience argument to bed. When a tragedy like this happens, people are quick to fixate on a 20-year-old in the cockpit. Forget the noise about her age. Some of the greatest pilots in the United States—the ones flying our most advanced military aircraft—are in their late teens and early twenties. If someone that young can handle an F-35 Lightning II in a dogfight, they are absolutely capable of flying a Learjet. Now, just looking at the cold facts of this specific crash, FAA regulations (AIM 7-1-27) are crystal clear: pilots must avoid thunderstorms by a minimum of 20 miles. Ultimately and tragically, this boils down to a fatal pilot error. They never should have flown directly into a severe storm cell. In the cockpit, final responsibility always rests with the Pilot in Command (PIC). The captain was highly experienced, and at the end of the day, he owns that bad decision. Could the young co-pilot have pushed back? Yes. She had every right to question the call and insist they do a 180 to find a safer route. But the ultimate burden of the failure belongs to the PIC. Listening to the ATC audio is absolutely heartbreaking, but you have to give that young co-pilot immense credit. You can literally hear her fight off the initial terror, force herself to stay cool, and continuously brief Air Traffic Control right up to the end. She was doing her job even when she had to have known they had no hope left. Very few people will ever be in a position of knowing with 100% certainty that they are going to die, yet still forcing themselves to execute a job for the final two minutes of their life. Godspeed to the passengers and crew.