Danger over the desert

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute (ASI) has released a new episode in its Real Pilot Story video series — a collection of stories where pilots share their own challenging, sometimes harrowing, experiences so others can benefit from lessons learned the hard way in flight.

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 was forced to shut down his right engine due to an oil leak. He managed to land safely in Oman, but he cut his mission short when the aircraft’s owner attempted 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,” said AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Vice President Mike Ginter. “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.”