The REAL Pilot Mistake That Got Dana Killed!

AVIATE. NAVIGATE. COMMUNICATE. Dana made a tragic mistake but the controllers were a big contributing factor to this tragedy. Dana probably felt confident about her plan to land in Houston because she had recently landed in Dallas. Unfortunately, when things didn't go as planned she didn't have the experience to adjust and she most likely never expected she'd have to go around or land on Runway 35. Be sure to check out The REAL Pilot Mistake That Got Brittney Killed and the controversy about the airport she was trying to land at: https://youtu.be/0uSUp_G3gjo

So confusing, I don't even know which runway I'm supposed to land on now, and I'm not in a plane.

This episode should be added to the curriculum of controller's schools. Exactly how NOT to vector a private plane.

As an airline pilot,I very much appreciate the kindness and the humanity of your reports,explaining and forgiving what is forgivable and explainable.Thanks for your hard work.Best regards from Spain.

Lifelong sailor, non aviator here and I find your technical analysis riveting and fascinating.

One of the very few channels that will point out pilot mistakes in a real way. Thats the only way to learn. Thank you.

Man this is sad - as much as the pilot was way out of her skill space, the controller did her no favours. All my sympathies to family and friends. Loss hurts.

She proved to be fully competent in understanding such a mess of ATC instructions. Unfortunately, in the process, she quit flying the airplane.

I am not a Pilot but since I started watching channels like this the thoughts of flying in a small GA aircraft scares the hell out of me. Landing a small plane like this at a busy commercial airport seems like trying to cross a busy 6 lane highway on a bicycle while blind folded with someone else giving you directions. It’s absolutely nuts. It is horrible that these 3 people lost their lives in a totally avoidable mishap.

When I was starting out as a low time pilot I went on a literal cross country flight from NJ to southern CA in my 1946 North American Navion. I had a planned fuel stop at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station/Yuma International Airport in Yuma, AZ. The milirary controller gave me a vector and landing clearance that had me too high for a normalized approach. I tried to slide slip and S turn as best I could to lose altitude and wound up getting the contoller flustered a bit with my path on their radar. I managed to land but was quite shaken by the experience. When I arrived at my destination in Imperial Valley CA and met with a few friends, one of which was a retired United Airlines captain, I told them about my landing in Yuma. The United captain told me there is a simple way to handle situations like this and he said "repeat after me - Unable". What? Yes, if a controller tells you to do something that from your perspective is either unsafe or impossible simply respond "Unable". I guess as a relatively low time pilot I didn't realize I could say that, considering whatever ATC said was irrefutable. I've since learned and have come to realize that not many controllers are pilots themselves and aren't used to small aircraft capabilities. This accident was tragic because the young lady didn't know what she didn't know and tried to be compliant when she should have exercised command authority and pushed back on the tower controllers unrealistic orders.

Hoover, you're such a kind soul. I cannot thank you enough for your diligence in educating the people, while at the same time, having empathy for those lost. ❤

As a private pilot I do not take passengers. As a motorcyclist I do not take passengers. I will not be responsible for getting others hurt or worse.

Hearing her voice and knowing the tragedy that is about to unfold … truly heartbreaking 💔

As a former controller, this clown makes us all look bad. I’ve never heard such nonsense from a qualified controller.

It is heartbreaking how she tried her best and was even excusing herself, the controllers are changing the plan all the way. Sad situation. Thank you for your high quality debrief's !

This episode really brings me back to my flying days, back in the '70's. I earned my private pilot license at the Monterey Navy Flying Club. I was in the Army and stationed at the Defense Language Institute. In my spare time, I worked on my private pilot license. I continued my flight training a few months later, when I was stationed in the Washington DC area, and started working on a commercial/instrument rating (my flight training was unrelated to my military career). The flight school was located at Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) and boy did I ever get "baptized by fire" while flying there! I still get butterflies in my stomach when I think of those training flights! Going from Monterey's rather charming, small airport to BWI was a real eye-opener. RIP Dana Gray, her husband and her brother 😢

Sad. Pilots need to know when to get out of area and re-group.

I found her very collected in her comms….. very sad …. She was just overwhelmed by the situation

This debrief was a hard one to listen to. I almost never comment on anything either, but this one is different. I learned to fly at that airport in the early 80’s (really busy then) and was a controller in Houston for several years over two different time periods. One thing that stands out from my experience there is that it seems like the tower didn’t consider reaching out to approach and explaining what was going on, and asking them for a “big hole” between two arrivals for this pilot. From there, literally spoon feed her specific instructions (headings and suggested altitudes), as it was obvious she was having trouble with ground/runway orientation. And by all means, take runway 35 out of the equation! Based on the type of aircraft, the wind, and how she’s performing, I can’t understand why they even thought of that runway! I was a big advocate of controllers at least getting the PPL during my years in the FAA, as accidents like this don’t have to happen. This debrief made me super sad, as I could see all the moving parts from both sides, and there were so many places the “stop this and restart” button could have been pressed. Many pilots already know this, but I feel compelled to say it; most controllers are NOT pilots and have no clue of what goes on in the cockpit. As you’re responsible for your aircraft, please be bold enough to speak up in the name of safety…your life may depend on it!

I stumbled on this Chanel by accident. I am working on my pilots license, this video was sad but very interesting. From my past experiences what I see is a complete break down in communication. I see the pilot’s mistake in being too compliant, that being said, this controller has no idea how to deal with a small slow mover. I was confused as to what the tower actually wanted, or who she should have been talking to just listening. I’m sure the controller had her so confused it wasn’t funny. Directions should be short, clear, and executable. Sad situation all due to poor communication. I hope because of this video I will be able to handle similar situations better as a pilot.