Total of 2 innocent women and 2 innocent children! 1 clinging for dear life...this is just crazy!

A lot of really callous, ingorant comments here.

Obviously, the guy DID know how to fly. He had been doing it for years and continued to fly after his first accident. If you have an wreck in your car does that mean you don't know how to drive? Well, maybe poor judgment at that particular moment. But ... what if it really wasn't your fault? Should you still be branded with that "Didn't know how to drive" label? Same goes for the good doctor, here. Don't be so quick to judge.

I, too, have to wonder how on earth a plane can be engulfed in flames if the fuel tank is empty. Any of you crude and cruel wits care to consider that? Brush might catch fire but the flames would move away from the original heat source. Unless there is something flammable to keep an object burning, quite simply, it won't. That means that the planes flame retardant seats, etc. had to have something to make them burn. That would seem to indicate there was fuel to maintain a fire. Hmmm.

An IFR rating (flying by instruments) is no excuse to fly in bad weather. The big jets can fly through it, but small airplane pilots should have the good judgment and patience to wait for better weather.

Pilot error is so apparent AFTER these sort of accidents. Before the accident it looked like confidence.

This is a such a sad story. Prayers for the son who survived and his continual survival. That young man needs strength and encouragement and love and to that end, I hope he will not have knowledge of the hateful comments that have been posted here and elsewhere. To lose one's mother at the age of 8 years is nothing short of devastating, and now the person who helped him through that is gone. It is no one else's business to say the father should not have piloted a plane again as we all have to live, and yes, die with the consequences of our choices and actions.

My thoughts and prayers go to this man's family.

Found 2008 statistics: 1,559 general aviation accidents of which 275 produced fatalities for a total of 495 fatalities.

Now lets all adopt a "public mentality" and run for cover then demand an end to this dangerous practice that kills more people than nuclear power and coal mining combined!

Many, many more people die from automobile and motorcycle accidents, do you suggest no more driving and get rid off all roads and highways? By the way, many also died from horse buggies and wagons way back when. That pretty much leaves us with bicycles and tricycles.

I find it rather appalling that anyone that does not know this wonderful doctor is so quick to judge him. If you only knew the true Dr. Hatch and what this man has done for so many people, maybe just maybe you wouldn't be so ignorant about the pain he has endured over the first accident. It was only by the blessing of his son that he decided to fly again. If you don't know the story, then keep your comments to yourself. GET A CLUE!!

Prayers go out the the entire Hatch family but especially Austin as he has to survive this horrible tragedy.

All I can say is that I hope the boy will be OK. He's got a bright future ahead of him.

He is a 6' 6" going to be Junior in high school who less than two weeks ago gave an oral commitment to play basketball for The University of Michigan.

Stop already with the crucifying of the father and show a little compassion for the family. Some of you are so callous it is ridiculous.....grow up.

Just out of curiosity. How does a plane that is out of fuel, then catch on fire when it crashes, killing three of the people on board? Sounds to me like the Feds did a rather shoddy job of figuring out what happened the first time around. I would have had a hard time getting in another small plane after surviving such an horrific accident, but that's just me.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the sole surviver. He was able to get past what happened to his mother and sister's. This is going to be far tougher to work past.

I'm not a pilot but I can't imagine that checking the fuel would not be the first frickin thing that you would check. Hard to pull over at a convenience store to fill up while in the air.

Just some things to think about concerning aviation, piloting, and accidents, none of which specifically pertain to this incident but are in general and for everyone's edification, taken in the order in which they appear here:

Some (all?) doctors should stay the hell out of airplanes.

Doctors, as well as lawyers and other professionals, have historically been a rather poor mix with aircraft. Why? It's because much of the time, these busy people purchased the airplane as a means of transportation moreso than as a pursuit of love of flying. They'll get their certifications and buy the aircraft, but often they'll only remain minimally qualified - remember, the real reason they got the plane in the first place was as a time saver, allowing them to get around more quickly. IF they end up putting the care and devotion into it that flying deserves, usually there won't be any problems at all. If not, it seems to me the most frequent end result has been a weather related mishap. None of the people who fly for the love of flying will be in the air, and many of them will be telling the doctor, lawyer, or whoever who's about to embark that they really need to stay put, but that harried professional just has to get back home tonight and that's why they've got an airplane, weather be damned. This is a lot of why the Beechcraft 35 became known as 'the fork-tailed doctor killer'.

I, too, have to wonder how on earth a plane can be engulfed in flames if the fuel tank is empty.

It takes a good long time for a fuel tank to truly be 'empty'. Years, in fact. Any machine that receives any kind of use will never have a truly 'empty' fuel tank. Draining a tank does not make it empty! I wash out a tank at least three times before I start doing any welding on it, and then keep it 3/4 of water during the process. The exception will be something that hasn't run in 20 years. Liquid fuel does burn, but not very well. Atomized fuel burns very well. Vapors are practically explosive! An engine runs on approximately 15 gallons of air mixed with one gallon of gasoline. A literal couple of residual gallons in the bottom of a fuel tank (which is, for all intents and purposes, empty) can mix with a lot of atmospheric air to create a tremendous fireball.

Now, do not forget that aircraft are made out of aluminum and that aluminum does burn. Not as hot or as fiercely as magnesium does, but it's still used in pyrotechnic devices like the fireworks we'll be seeing a week from now. And not all aircraft are all aluminum, either. Doped fabrics and wood are still fairly common in light aircraft in use today, as are fiberglass reinforced polyester resins, other polymers, and various upholstery materials.

An IFR rating (flying by instruments) is no excuse to fly in bad weather.

Instruments are very helpful in limited visibility. But violent wind shears tear apart small airplanes that get caught up in them, and pilots who try to avoid thunderstorms and other very bad weather can still end up in trouble when they try to fly under them or find they run short on fuel because the detour around a storm front can add a lot of unplanned flight time onto a cross country trip! Experience should tell any pilot flying cross country to count on lousy and unpredictable flying weather in June and July and plan accordingly.

Many, many more people die from automobile and motorcycle accidents,

It's true.

Part of it was exposure. Many more of us drive cars and ride motorcycles. If all pilots operated their aircraft like many of us drive cars and ride motorcycles, all hell would be breaking loose. Aircraft are like many things in this world. They're quite safe if used responsibly, and very unforgiving when used carelessly with disregard of common sense safety rules and best practices!

This man did have a lot of courage to resume flying after his first mishap. A lot of people don't, since it really isn't a virtual necessity in today's world like driving is. I know many people in motorcycle wrecks who never ride again. They don't have to ride a motorcycle, and the accident was traumatic enough they just never care to relive the experience in any way, even if they enjoyed riding before the accident. Regardless of the true cause of the accident that ultimately killed him, he did have the wisdom to understand that sometimes things do happen after the first one and that it isn't necessarily the end of the world when they do.

thank you for detailing the facts so everyone who is placing the blame can move on. Fact is this is a sad situation. Pray for that boy and get the facts, no need to persecute the dead. "Heavenly father please hold Austin in your arms and allow him to heal so he may go on to live his dreams and remember how much his dad loved him"

Thats what I was gonna say!!

Well, he survived one crash and saved one son's life. That sounds more like good piloting. How do you just know he wasn't a good pilot? Becasue he wasn't able to also save his first wife and two other children's lives becasue they were already so engulfed in fames? I'm wondering what facts you already have to state why he crashed and perished this time around when those facts aren't officially in? This news article is just reporting it, and has been updated at least three times since I initially read it. And that so-called friend of his doesn't actually sound like such a good friend by the comments stated, or else his comments are being re-stated out of context.

He might have survived one crash and saved one son's life, but he is responsible for the death of two other children and two wives. That doesn't sound like good piloting to me. He seems like a very callous, selfish individual to even be able to get back into a plane as the pilot after causing the death of three people.

Very assuming. How do you know he is actually responsible for their deaths? They were on fire and he was unable to get to them. Your comment reads like you think he was like a superman. If he was guilty of killing them by plane crash, there is no way he could have known he would survive. So that just doesn't jive. It sounds like he was unlucky. Was he in jail for killing them? I didn't think he was, but was he? Also, by what you are saying, lets say that if you were to cause a serious car crash, what you're implying would mean that, even if you could drive again, you never would. No time frame considered there, either. I realize it is possible that you might not, but also not very realistic. This crash was unusual that it was his second. I am trying to fathom how he could have guessed he'd have two plane crashes, and how flying again is 'callous or selfish'.

he is responsible, because he was piloting the plane when it crashed. if I am driving a car and crash and it kills 3 people, I lose my liscene and possibly go to jail

Not true. That depends on the circumstances. As for the plane crash and the doctor, was he convicted of manslaughter or murder the first time around?

You @!$%#ing disgust me. Have u ever got in a car crash.. hm maybe twice? i personally know this family and Austin<3 he has always been a mircale. He is such a genuine guy, i go to school with him and the audasity you have to post @!$%# like this makes me sick to my stomach. His son is one of the most talented basketball players at our schoool.. already has a full ride to collage. i hope you think twice about stuff you say and post. Karma comes back. just saying. Praying for you Austin<3 been thinking about you every second. <3 stay strong.. if anyone can, its you<3

I hope you're not an example of the level of education at your high school, RESPECT. If you are, they're doing a lousy job.

Lemme just say this- How do you know that he wasnt a bad pilot? How do you know that he was a good pilot? My point is this- One accident is tragic- Two accidents is starting to look fishy maybe. I am thinking, that DUE TO THE ARTICLE they had recommended not landing due to weather. The first time was due to a lack of gas. Doesnt sound very good to me.

An accident is usually caused by a series of bad decisions. It is just to bad that things like this happen. May all of us pray for Austin and the extended family.

Wow- you are an evil person..."good riddance". What kind of person are you? I hope you never lose someone you care about.

I think that a lot of people have made the point- there are car accidents everyday. If you happen to survive do you never drive again? Don't be so short minded....

completely agree. i go to school with Austin, and i am not just saying this to say this.. he is honestly 100% one of the strongets most geunine guys. He's so talented and intelligent. Love you Austin<3 ive been praying all day.

Have you ever got in a car crash?? hmm maybe ever twice? people like you disgust me. I go to school with Austin and it was hard enough for us as a class to cope when we were younger.. so people like you who have the audasity to post @!$%# this disrespectful makes me sick. stay on the ground.. how about you stay out of this comments if your going to be so rude. I love you Austin<3 strongest guy i know.

That goes for driver's licenses as well!!

It takes a minimum of 40 hours of training. Pilots have to get medical checkups every 2 years to make sure they are fit to fly. They also have a check ride every 2 years to ensure that their skills are up to par.

From reading the article, it does seem that he just wasn't a good pilot and probably should have traveled alone.

Allow me to make a small correction IFR stands for Instrument flight rules If you are licensed for IFR flight the only minimums for flight are your ability's as a pilot.

I think you meant VFR (visual flight rules)for which there are safety minimums in place

I'll bet the dad and kid, both survivors of a previous crash, knew there was no reset button already. Getting bit in the rear by a bad call happens does sound like pilot has paid for it already.

uh - mark - there ARE minimums. Once can choose to bust them at their own.peril.

Even if the guy had a good GPS with a self developed approach, the problem comes from the accuracy of the receiver.

There are OLD pilots and there are BOLD pilots but there are DAMNED FEW OLD, BOLD PILOTS

(commercial, multi, IFR)

oops - forgot unless you are IFR Cat III , Autoland - then the minimums don't really apply (but that's an AIRPORT and AIRCRAFT combination and is applicable only at major airports)

Which begs the question, what was ceiling and vis at the time of this accident and which "minimums" are we talking about?

(CPL/fixed/IFR & PPL/rotorcraft-helicopter)

JV1967- it makes me sad that you are so quick to pass judgement before anyone even knows what happens. Hope your life is never under a microscope

Seriously! i agreee. i go to school with Austin, and it was hard enough as a class to go through such a tadgety with someone so genuine and intelligent and talented. People are so disrespectful. Exactly, there so quick to judge when they don't even know them. Love you Austin, been praying for you all day.

You seem to be a troll. Obviously you haven't been paying attention in class. Your spelling is very poor. Or is that done on purpose to try to disguise the fact that you are a troll?

Lay off of the guy. His family has been through enough....TWICE!

Julie-3656524, in the piloting community words tends to travel fast. I am keeping the son in my thoughts BUT better decision making on the part of his father would have avoided TWO disasters.

so how many other pilots out there have seen the infamous "doctor turn to final" (cross controlled approaching a stall)? Sadly many of them fly high powered tin (poorly).

DEN, you took the thoughts right out of my head. I was just thinking that if someone gets in a car accident that they would probably drive again. Sometimes accidents happen and, in this case, tragically it happened twice. We don't know that he was a bad pilot. We need to get more facts in this story before we judge the man. I pray that the child that survived will be alright.

Den, my thoughts exactly. A whole lot of speculation going on here with so little facts. I wish people would stop to think about how this physician was in the plane himself, both times. Hard to fathom that he was trying to be 'a stupid pilot', not to mention had his children with him and the surviving one the second time. He was just severely unlucky, but we don't know he was a bad pilot. I've been involved in three car accidents. None were my fault. One, I was a passenger. The other two I was badly rear-ended in heavy traffic by aggressive drivers passing others by so callously, and I still drive. Wait for the facts, people.

Thank you, Rio. I knew Dr. Hatch very well. My husband and I have flown with him several times. He was a VERY good pilot and and even BETTER man. Your common sense reasoning is refreshing after hearing all of the ignorant comments made on this tragedy. DR. HATCH WAS A GOOD PILOT! One of the best.

Here's the thing tho --- for those who are comparing a car accident to what happened in an airplane. First of all, this wasn't a multi-plane accident, most of the car stories above included other drivers. Secondly, unlike in cars, the NTSB investigates each and every one thoroughly.

The first one was his fault. His decisions killed his family. If the facts come out that the second accident was his fault, he was a lousy pilot and should have hung it up before the first accident.

If he learned from his mistakes on the 1st one and it comes out that the 2nd one wasn't his fault, great. But the initial crash results said that he shouldn't have been flying if he was only IFR-rated based on the current conditions. So, it looks like he made two mistakes and killed a lot of innocent people.

And that's the saddest part.

my commonts are rarely ignorant #11.3 (but almost always cynical). Driving is a privledge, one that can be revoked by misdeeds and improper operation of a motor vehicle. flying is very much a privledge, one that should have been revoked by the FAA for misdeeds. ive read many an article in aviation periodicals and service mags (Mech, Approuch, for example) and a common theme is always the accidents, preventable accidents caused by pilots/aircrew/maintainers being careless or complacant. if you ran outta fuel on a hop, then you didnt know your plane, the amount of rough flight time you have with the amount of fuel, your endurance, etc. simply put, you fly the brief that you briefed before flight. no deviantions. flying isnt a game. there are no good pilots (just like a star wars adage of 'war doesnt make one great'), there are skilled pilots. knowledgeable pilots. and foolish pilots who think they were good. being good isnt good enough after you dropped several tons of metal, fuel and flesh unto someone's house because you thought you were good enough.

its a privledge for a reason. not everyone should be a pilot. just like a lot of people in this country shouldnt drive (let alone breed)...

DEN

Very well put, I love how these people armchair quarterback the whole thing and the closest they have ever come to flying is in a commercial jet airliner.

Some of you out there forget that hundreds of thousands fly because they "love of it". Yes, it does have some inherent risks. But who are you to make judgement calls while you sit on your couch??

Hmmmmmm.......................... Let's see. A bunch of nasty comments from people who don't know a THING about this MAN! But then we have Natalie. Someone who KNEW the man and says what a great pilot he is and a great human being. So shouldn't that be all you morons need to know??? And for someone to say: "How does Natalie know if he was a good pilot, is SHE a pilot"?- that's stupid as well. I mean it has some validity, don't get me wrong, but when you KNOW someone, have FLOWN with that person on multiple occasions, you see how they rationalize things. How they PREPARE for things, how the handle stress and other situations. I think we all should be listening to Natalie. Sorry for your loss!

Kevin - This is a public forum. Anyone with an e-mail address can post here. You have no proof whatsoever that Natalie knows or ever knew Hatch, nor do you know whether she and her husband ever flew with him, or whether she even has a husband. You are accusing other posters who didn't know Hatch of making "a bunch of nasty comments" about him, yet you are willing to believe Natalie's comments but know absolutely nothing about her. Maybe you should take a looooong look in the mirror before pointing a finger at others for doing exactly what you are doing.

He didn't risk others' lives, they made that decision. We DO know that they knew his ability well enough to make that decision. If he was remoterly at fault for the first crash, I'm sure his son would never have risked more flights with his dad. I agree with other posters who question the veracity of the FAA's investigation when the plane wasn't very likely out of gas. None of us know the real deal, and we shouldn't be judging blindly based on our own narrow assumptions. May they RIP and my sincere condolences for the losses of their friends and family. I hope Austin can recover and fulfill his hoop dreams at Michigan. Peace.

Oh puhleeeze......you owe Natalie an apology. Now.

This comment is for Mr./Ms. Alphabet...the ABCxyz poster/imposter.

Thank you Natalie for standing up for your friend. As for some others, bashing dead people doesn't make you a better or smarter person. Prayers to Austin.

I completely agree. I go to school with Austin, and its an understatement to say he is one of the most genuine, intelligent, talented guys i know. it was hard enough to deal with this when we were in 3rd grade. We've all grown up to see him become stronger than anyone thought he could! Now this has occured, and i cant even rap my head around it. Austin these people don't know you, but the people who do obviously know the great guy you are. <3 Been thinking about you all day. Dont worry these disrespecfull @!$%#ing idiots dont even know a spec about you. let em talk, haters are gonna be haters, and your so strong<3

You really should "rap" your head, troll. Maybe then you would develop some intelligence.
Whom are you trying to kid?

Comparing car crashes and plane crashes are like comparing apples and oranges. First, CARS have better safety protection for accidents (i.e. airbags, seat belts, crumple zones). What is the safety protection on a plane? Seat belt? Airbags? Second, most car accidents are on the GROUND. I believe most plane accidents happen in the air, which is a factor since GRAVITY and GRAVITATIONAL FORCE are major players. My prayers go out to the surviving child!

great pilots don't bust minimums. BTW conrad - the majority of accidents with aircraft are inadvertent contact with the surface. Some are even called controlled flight into terrain. The doc may have been a nice uy but like I said earlier - There are OLD pilots and there are BOLD pilots but there are DAMNED FEW OLD BOLD PILOTS

Canary,

You seem to have knowledge and experience in this field, but I am sure you would agree that if in a situation where you have already diverted, and you are down to your reserves, you really don't have much of a choice except to maybe stretch the mins. (There has been talk that Dr. Hatch was already diverting, but not sure if it was for weather or an engine problem) It's not the choice you want to make.

I am taken back to a flight when I got caught up in some unforcasted weather and had to force myself to shoot a VOR approach from memory in an airplane that wasn't equipped for IFR. It had 1 VOR in it that had just been worked on 3 days earlier. I was plannig to go by dead reckoning and pilotage. I called FSS for a briefing, and contacted both control towers to see what weather they were getting at the time. This was after I looked at the weather myself. Even after 3 different weather reports of VFR conditions, I still got stuck in weather that magically appeared. To top it off, it was night, with white out snow conditions, and I lost radio communications for about 70% of the flight. I did what I had to do and that was shoot the VOR approach from memory. All this was on a 40 min flight with a complete VFR forcasts. Sometimes stuff happens. That is where experience comes from.

True - the assumption was that he was trying to land in the scud. When you run out of gas the flying stops and the gliding starts. Right after I got my ticket I flew in advection fog - kept checking with FSS and asking for weather updates and it went from VFR to 0-0 in 2 minutes. Nobody bothered telling me about a converging temp-dew point spread. Called for an assist and got turned around and headed back. The same night another guy in an Ercoupe augered in about 40 miles away.

Everyone is allowed to take whatever risks he or she wants to take with his or her own life, but that person should not be allowed to risk the lives of others, especially after already killing one wife and two kids.

I completely agree. I go to school with Austin, and its an understatement to say he is one of the most genuine, intelligent, talented guys i know. it was hard enough to deal with this when we were in 3rd grade. We've all grown up to see him become stronger than anyone thought he could! Now this has occured, and i cant even rap my head around it. Austin these people don't know you, but the people who do obviously know the great guy you are. <3 Been thinking about you all day. Dont worry these disrespecfull fuucking idiots dont even know a spec about you. let them talk, haters are gonna be haters, and your so strong know one can every bring you down<3 its obvious from the past 8 years.

God Sloppy- you are so fu@#ing funny! What a genius! Really, just a person of great comedic timing and intellectual prowess. I wish I could be you so badly. I wish I had no heart, or soul. I wish I was a funny coward who spews hate about tragic deaths from my parents basement. I wish I was a douche like you.

Kevin - why wish when you already are?

Nice shot, ABC. Center (m)ass.

Yeah Kevin, you just won the award of being a DOUCHE!

Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Exactly. As you have demonstrated by your own post. STUPID MORON!

I go to school with Austin, His dad who you are calling stupid is a @!$%#king doctor, his son already has a full ride to collage for his basketball and intelligence. Its an understatement to say he is one of the most genuine, intelligent, talented guys i know. it was hard enough to deal with this when we were in 3rd grade. We've all grown up to see him become stronger than anyone thought he could! Now this has occured, and i cant even rap my head around it. Austin these people don't know you, but the people who do obviously know the great guy you are. <3 Been thinking about you all day. Dont worry these disrespecfull fuucking idiots dont even know a spec about you. let them talk, haters are gonna be haters, and your so strong know one can every bring you down<3 its obvious from the past 8 years. the stupid morons have NO idea what they are talking about. there as stupid as there post shows that they are.

troll alert! troll alert! troll alert!

obviously his dad thought his piloting skills were superior to the weather. I hope the kid gets better.

<3

weather and luck don't mix. This was a non-radar field with IIRC a NDB approach. It's possible that he had made up his own GPS approach (pure speculation) but for some reason he flew into an obscured field expecting to break out below the scud. Sometimes the dragon wins. Like said before, I hope the kid makes it.

JKATZE I take personal issue with your generalization.

I am 48 and have rode motorcycles since I was little. My first car was a Honda CB360 Twin motorcycle. I always rode with a helmet and common sense.

In 1990 I was hit by a drunk driver that ran a redlight, lucky I walked away. In 1994 I had an elderly woman turn in front of me and I T-boned her on the passenger side of her car, luckily I walked away. In 1997 I had to take evasive action because of a police car halfway on my side of the road. There were no witnesses and it was my word against his. I did everything I could to avoid hitting him. Luckily I came away with my life.....as for walking away?? I was left paralyzed from the chest down.

Now would you say I got what I deserved because I was stupid and should have quite riding after the first or definately the second accident. Non of you people out there know exactly what happened. You may have even been within the sound of the accident but NONE of you were in the cockpit. So until the FAA releases their official findings I suggest keep it to condolences and prayers for the son. And that especially goes for the smartass pilot that has the nerve to say all doctors should stay out of a plane.

Oh and it just so happens I used to fly a Cessna before I got into my accident about twice a month.

God bless you, David, for your rational way of thinking. Yes, stuff happens in spite of any and all safety precautions we may take in doing the things we do. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the weather. From what I know of the upper Michigan peninsula, gnarly weather "things" might be common due to the terrain, similar in a way to flight conditions in Alaska. Is there anyone from the upper Michigan peninsula who could give us some FACTS on that?

How did you get into your accident twice a month?

Thank you for your accurate and more detailed information. It's refreshing to hear from an actual, audible, witness whom can give credible testimony, in the first person, to investigators.

You DONT know him or his family. people like you make me sick. your kind of idiocracy shouldnt be allowed. think before you speak. I have never met a more inteligent man in my life.. and saying that is an UNDERSTATEMENT. Dont worry Austin, haters are gonna hate, you and your dad are some of the strongest men ive ever known and all of us who know/knew you guys know that from being with you for the past 8 years.

Small planes are most certainly NOT dangerous. It's a well known fact that the majority of aviation accidents are caused by PILOT ERROR. That's a fact. It has nothing to do wiht the airplane. General aviation aircraft are every bit as safe as airliners. By your logic, you could say about an airline crash "big planes like that are just not safe". That would be equally as ludicrous and ill-informed.

actually it DID have to with the airplane. you have no idea what you are talking about, and you dont even know them or what happend the first time. Im pretty sure you werent the one in the plane crashes, and i happen to go to school with Austin.. so be respectful. some of you people disgust me. Austin, dont worry haters are gonna hate, but every one who knows you knows you are one of the strongest guys on the planet<3 Stay strong! We are all here for youu.

I can tell you as one of his patients, that he was a damned good doctor. He cared for his patients and listened to their concerns. He was not rushed to make a decision until he looked everything over. He has been my lifesaver for several years and will missed dearly. He started his practice because of the pain he sufferred in the first accident. Knowing the effects of pain, he has a better understanding what his patients are going through. Prayers to his family and Austin as he fights the fight of his life.

He may have been a great doctor, but statistically doctors kill themselves in private planes at a much higher rate than non-doctors. There have been several studies over the years documenting this.

Actually Anon and JV1967, my wife was a patient of his and he was one of the best doctors around. She even went back to him after we moved and made the 2 hr drive to see him because he was that good. She is a certified PA herself so she knows what she is doing as well. Your comments about his accidents are false and based on your assumptions. If you would read about 3 posts up, you would see that someone who was actually on site mentioned that there was an engine problem and not because of the weather. The first one could have been fuel exhaustion and not because he was out of fuel (there is a difference). If you would like to know if I am credible, I am an active airline pilot with several thousand flight hours. Most of that is in a jet, but I have spent many of hours in the small planes as well. If you don't know the guy or what happened, don't spout your mouth off. Your inconsiderate comments and uneducated opionions are not needed here.

<3

Sherman1585562... What the heck? You've been a pilot for 30 years and think that qualifies you to judge all physicians as pilots? Oh, come on already. How about if you provide us with the documented statistics so you can leave the sensationalism and speculation out of this?

Sherman, how large is your sample size of pilot doctors? Isn't this a bit of a prejudiced remark?

I've seen a few who would be in need of remedial flight training - most don't spend enough time in the air. The IFR qualified seem to be the best of the lot with the practice necessary to stay current