Accident during Young Eagles Field Trip (9G1)

On the surface Young Eagles sounds like a wonderful organization. In practice its a disaster. It's very poorly run, presenting dangerous conditions on the ramp during events and they don't do background checks on their volunteer pilots before sending them off with a plane full of children.

^ Fact

Something like 1.5 million kids have been able to enjoy their first taste of flight through the program, safely, so that's a pretty broad brush to paint against the program; I've not seen "dangerous conditions on the ramp during events", as the places I've seen have had safety areas/lines and ground crew to help, nor can I imagine what kind of background check would make sure a pilot didn't ever make a mistake... I have had a lot of kids send thank you drawings and letters and pictures and be highly excited at their opportunity to fly, and more than one who said "I'm gonna do that when I grow up". Maybe they will, maybe they won't, but it is a fun and rewarding experience for both the kids and the pilots. One guy running off the end of a runway, as bad as that is, does not make an entire program a disaster.

Overweight perhaps??

Well stated Laura. Thanks for the post.

I can't seem to find out what actually happened. Can anyone enlighten me?

Laura -- You must be one of the great pilots or ground volunteers that make the Young Eagles program a success. BRAVO!!!

Manboi/Eric -- You two must be lawyers (or from California) because only those two types of people could take the best program for kids and find fault with it. Young Eagle pilots and ground volunteers are the safest and best pilots to take a child up for an airplane ride

I have over 500 YE's to my name and want to continue giving rides. In fact, not one, not 2, but **5** kids that I have taken for an airplane ride are now professional pilots and they all fly Young Eagles

Please exit the pilot ranks immediately...you don't deserve to be in the same sky as all the great pilots that fly! SHAME ON YOU!

Richard - That's a pretty broad brush to paint against Californians...(SMH)

....and I second the sentiments that one incident should not scrap the entire program. I'm certain for the pilot, carrying children was not something that was taken lightly. I've flown with kids before and have been that much more conscious of safety.

There could have been a number of causes, weight, density altitude, engine trouble. It will be interesting to see the outcomes of the investigation. and what the root cause was. At any rate, the program director or whoever is in charge of flight for the Young Eagles should be interested in the outcomes and learn from it. Meanwhile, the most important thing is that i'm glad everyone was okay.

i am NOT a pilot. but to reject the takeoff, and keep it on the ground seemed to be a wise choice. i am sorry the children were hurt in this accident, but AT LEAST they are ALIVE AND KICKING. they get to get better, and maybe go up flying again at some point in the future. the pilot should get a pat on the back, for doing the right thing which in my opinion was NOT to get airborne, and do the best he or she could to minimize the impact.

I should exit the pilot ranks immediately because you disagree with my concern for safety of children? I've witnessed very dangerous situations with Young Eagles events. I also know there have been many convicted sex offenders flying alone in a very small plane with three children. I am not a lawyer nor from California. I'm a responsible CEO from Idaho who isn't afraid to speak out when I see a dangerous situation happening over and over.

Can Young Eagles really be credited for a person becoming a professional pilot? Give me a break!

"Can Young Eagles really be credited for a person becoming a professional pilot? Give me a break!"

Can an early experience of a profession encourage a young person to pursue that profession? Absolutely. As a teacher, I've seen it happen. And "many" convicted sex offenders are piloting kids in Young Eagles? That seems ludicrous to me. Where's the data on this?

I flew on a Young Eagles flight and it was the main thing that got me interested in general aviation. It was a positive experience I won't forget.