"Drunk" Air Traffic Controller on Radio

Рет қаралды 522,541

6 ай бұрын

Being impaired while doing a very important job adds a lot of risk and this is a scenario I had never really considered as a pilot.
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Пікірлер: 2 500

@jdonovan74 6 ай бұрын

I see 4 bars on the uniform!

@randallsluder8289 6 ай бұрын

Yes, what’s up with the 4 stripes?

@davids5006 6 ай бұрын

@@randallsluder8289he made Captain

@firefly4f4 6 ай бұрын

Those were there last week too. 👍 🌝

@baseballmomof8 6 ай бұрын

Yes. Those showed up last week.

@kiloyardstare 6 ай бұрын

Despite all his YT shenanigans!

@Laciesgrl33 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations Captain Kelsey. The 74gear community is so proud of you.

@T-Chair 6 ай бұрын

Totally, those bars look real good and well earned

@robertedison4814 6 ай бұрын

@@T-Chair...4 STRIPES was the first thing I noticed on this excellent episode!!!!!

@Fastvoice 6 ай бұрын

@@robertedison4814 He already had them on the episode before. 😉

@darringreen8630 6 ай бұрын

Guys, he was drunk and stole the captain's epaulets.

@joshilini2 6 ай бұрын

Nice if he would respond to these comments . . .

@MoMadNU 6 ай бұрын

In November 2018 the tower controller at Las Vegas International was having a stroke. What ensued was nothing short of amazing, as there were aircraft both on the ground and in the air at the time. The pilots involved switched to the CTAF and ran the whole operation as if it were a non-towered airport. The dialog sounds like everyone was in a single engine prop aircraft flying GA and everything was nominal. It's really worth a listen.

@slappymcgillicuddy7532 6 ай бұрын

she had been under the influence as well since she was terminated shortly after.

@CapStar362 6 ай бұрын

@@slappymcgillicuddy7532 she wasnt terminated either, she resigned and then disappeared before they could even properly terminate her.

@computer_toucher 5 ай бұрын

Link?

@CapStar362 5 ай бұрын

@@computer_toucher google it, every single one of them says she resigned before the FAA could even start the investigation, but there are a few links still lurking around of aviation forums and other controllers talking about the ACTUAL events people who actually knew her personally. My cousin is a controller and sent me a photo back then from a few months after - Its a nationwide Trespass Warning and BOLO for others. It's got her name and her photo on it.

@circuitgamer7759 2 ай бұрын

@@computer_toucher It's been 3 months and still nobody has shared a link... If there is one, have you found it, or has anyone else found it? I found one short article briefly mention it, and that's it.

@kathleenlyle281 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations Captain Kelsey. My son-in-law is a commercial pilot and a captain and I am just as happy for you. Our family knows how hard you've worked and you seem just as kind as our son-in-law and we send Christmas blessings to you

@abdosimon 6 ай бұрын

What a nice message. All the best for your son in law.

@susansoper9818 5 ай бұрын

⁠congratulations and on your fourth stripe. Did you get a raise too?

@Sinister_fartbox 5 ай бұрын

Kelsey doesn’t give a fuck

@kyriosity-at-github 4 ай бұрын

I guess his name is Frank Abagnale.

@kenbrown2808 6 ай бұрын

good on you for making it clear there are medical issues that can seem similar to a person being drunk.

@shadowprince4482 6 ай бұрын

Yep, I have a speech impediment and sometimes get low blood sugar. Oddly enough 1 or 2 beers helps my speech but it falls off pretty quickly after that. So people constantly think I'm drunk except for when I've actually had a little alcohol. It's super annoying especially because I also have a general tremor in my hand which alcohol also usually but not always fixes.

@jennifercoulter6886 6 ай бұрын

Sounds a lot like a diabetic with low blood sugar

@factzilla1868 6 ай бұрын

Quito's altitude can also cause hypoxia/mountain sickness in even healthy individuals and exacerbate those medical issues. symptoms include confusion as well as impaired judgement to realize what's happening (hence the value of hypoxia training)

@autohitman 6 ай бұрын

There is a very good video on KZfaq with air traffic control who was having a medical emergency. It sounded very similar to this controller. I’m sure you can search for it and find it. It was a great video.

@rationalbushcraft 6 ай бұрын

Low blood sugar normally doesn't last for hours like this. Either it keeps dropping until you pass out and eventually die or someone recognizes it and gives you some candy or juice. What I find more disconcerting is that this lasted for hours. No pilot who heard this did anything? How would any of these people felt if a couple of planes full of people collided? Not only would I have not taken off I would have called right away and got someone out there ASAP before someone got killed. To me that is the big story here.

@stellardendrite 6 ай бұрын

Congrats on the 4th bar, that's freakin' awesome! I'm ground-based EMS, and if it hadn't been hours and hours of this controller sounding this way, I'd have guessed he was having a stroke or some other neurological or diabetic/metabolic emergency. I don't know if we'll ever find out what was going on with him, but hopefully it was handled appropriately and everyone was okay!

@phillipwells6758 6 ай бұрын

I am a retired firefighter and have been an EMT since 1980. I am also a private pilot though not current for a while. The most disturbing thing about this whole story, too me, is how no one thought to ask for someone to check on this controller for hours. Or so it seems. Very sad.

@indahooddererste 6 ай бұрын

@@phillipwells6758 I remember this clip from VAS where an atc in Las Vegas Aiport had a stroke and they called the company to take care of that.

@douglasphillips1203 6 ай бұрын

⁠@@indahooddererste The LAS incident wasn't a stroke. From what I read at the time it happened, they were drunk, it wasn't the first time it had happened, and the person was fired. Apparently there was a lot of other drama around it as well that was discussed on pilot forums. A lot of it was deleted for legal reasons but there are comments regarding it on that VAS video.

@maryeckel9682 6 ай бұрын

@@phillipwells6758exactly! I would have called in right away.

@deeponchaudhuri106 5 ай бұрын

Neurology Resident here. Frontal lobar strokes do occur even though they are rare. It's definitely an interesting case if it is not explained by toxins and metabolic disorders.

@john2000l 6 ай бұрын

I too am offering my congratulations for that 4th Stripe, Captain Kelsey. You have accomplished the pinnacle in Aviation and through the years that I have been watching your videos, you have exemplified the kind of pilot I would always want in the cockpit of my flight. Great Job sir, and I salute you.

@comicus01 6 ай бұрын

Kelsey: I work as a RN, I think the best word you are looking for is "Altered". Altered Mental Status is often listed as the chief complaint for a patient presenting to the ER. And is sometimes the admitting diagnosis if they can't sort it out in the ER (but they will have ruled out the easy diagnoses such as a stroke or hypoglycemia). Possibilities that come to mind as to why he was altered: Alcohol, street drugs, prescription drugs, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), stroke/CVA/TIA, infection (UTIs in particular are known for making some people altered). Could even possibly be something cardiac related. My best guess is alcohol, 2nd guess is a stroke/CVA of some sort. If I were a pilot, knowing how strict airlines and the FAA are about following proper procedures, I would have been scared as hell if I were trying to land. And not sure I would have taken off either. I would have hoped that once those guys landed that they tried to call the tower or talk to airport operations. How was he ever allowed to stay up there for hours??? And congratulations on the promotion!

@Fireandbubbles 5 ай бұрын

Night shift nurse. Sounds the most like he didn’t sleep last night, tbh.

@mike406 5 ай бұрын

Ok so out of this huge paragraph we’ve determined that there is one out of a hundred possibilities someone could be speaking like this. Truly groundbreaking. You can’t diagnose someone based off audio alone.

@comicus01 5 ай бұрын

@@Fireandbubbles I'm night shift as well, and I can't say I have sleepy patients sounding like that. Though I do have a friend when she's really sleep deprived will sound a bit like that controller and become a bit delirious. But he didn't sound sleepy to me.

@comicus01 5 ай бұрын

@@mike406 We can't, correct. That's why I said the best umbrella term is "Altered". Saying someone is altered is a description of their symptoms, not a true diagnosis.

@deeponchaudhuri106 5 ай бұрын

Neurology Resident here. I agree. Needs thorough clinical evaluation.

@keithbrown9198 6 ай бұрын

I earned my PPL in the Philippines back in the 80s at Clark AB. On a dual cross-country, we were inbound to San Fernando, La Union, which had a tower, and got no answer to radio calls. We entered a right downwind and looked for light gun signals. Nothing. Now, my instructor was a helicopter pilot that served in Vietnam, so he was not about to be deterred. We landed without a clearance and taxied up to the base of the tower, shut down and walked to to the entrance and were greeted by a very drunk air traffic controller, who invited us up to the cab. There were three (or four, I don't remember exactly) with a bottle of Tanduay rum, almost empty. Apparently it was a Filipino holiday that even my instructor wasn't aware of. He asked if they had heard our radio calls. "Yes, we hear you but our radios don't work". He asked about the light gun. "She no work either." So I'm asking myself, WTF are you guys even here for?? Then they asked us for money for more rum. My instructor peeled off a 100 peso note ($4 at the time) without hesitation, after all, we had landed without clearance. Smiles all around and we departed, but not before we asked the drunk controllers if we could do so. "Sure, no problem Joe". Ay yay yay, flying in the third world is interesting.

@RiDankulous 6 ай бұрын

Gratz on getting your license! It’s pretty good scary story half which could affect safety in the area. I wonder if the same four guys work there!😆

@ViceCityMasta 6 ай бұрын

So your instructor encouraged their dangerous behavior by giving them money for more alcohol to drink while working? That's nice

@keithbrown9198 6 ай бұрын

@@Dennis_The_Dude Ever been there? I lived there for 3 years. My whole family is Filipino, wife and kids. I'm quite comfortable with my assessment.

@keithbrown9198 6 ай бұрын

@@ViceCityMasta We were probably the only aircraft that would land that day. It was basically a bribe to avoid trouble. You have to understand how things work there. They couldn't talk to any airplanes nor had any way to control them. Safety was not compromised. I had more hazardous encounters with local pilots at uncontrolled airports.

@krisk1547 6 ай бұрын

@@Dennis_The_Dude it kinda is. Not as bad as some but there is lots of poverty and not so much for country's economy. I am still thinking to retire there. Can't afford to live in second world country canada😅

@user-lk3ws1qp5l 6 ай бұрын

Good morning, Captain! Still so excited for you on earning the 4th bar, but now we’re worried: isn’t it tough to go from being the FO with the highest seniority to now the Captain with the least? Tell us about it, please! Wishing you happy holidays and a great new year. Blue side up, always!

@WithmeVerissimusWhostoned 6 ай бұрын

dayum, I just noticed too! Amazing!.. Congrats Kelsey! And Merry Christmas! \o/

@davids5006 6 ай бұрын

Yeah he's modest it seems, last 2 videos he's sporting them but not mentioned it

@butchieblock9118 6 ай бұрын

@@davids5006 Yes, quite true!! That's part of the reason he's so LIKABLE!!!

@davids5006 6 ай бұрын

@@butchieblock9118 I'm guessing he's probably walking a little differently though lol I would be

@sendthis9480 6 ай бұрын

@@davids5006 “Honey…can you take out the trash” “Ummmm…didn’t you see this 4th bar”?!?!

@emhoj97 6 ай бұрын

Congratulation on your promotion, CAPTAIN Kelsey 🎉 Well deserved, and wishing many happy days to come 😊

@arianakbarian 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations Captain on the four stripes😉. It's an honor to be part of this journey with 74gear.

@theoriginaldude1805 6 ай бұрын

*Congratulations, Captain Kelsey for your promotion* ❤🎉❤ *You deserve every bit of it. Those 4 bars suits you perfectly* ❤

@lessharratt8719 6 ай бұрын

Wow. YEA!!!! I don't sub to this channel, But I love it. Congratulations CAPTAIN Kelsey.

@danmartens8855 6 ай бұрын

Kelsey, you are the biggest recruiter they have. They should pay you. I knew a pilot very well back in the day. He said that if a fellow pilot showed up drunk he would suddenly "acquire" a violent stomachache and leave the plane.

@gijbuis 6 ай бұрын

Sounds as though he has experience of fellow pilots turning up drunk... sure, happens everyday!

@imbwildrd3693 6 ай бұрын

it's pretty disgusting to know that your pilot friend had no concerns about the passengers on the airplane he was happy to let a drunk pilot fly.

@killeverything200 6 ай бұрын

@@imbwildrd3693He said he didn't though

@SuperPhunThyme9 6 ай бұрын

You sure like assuming things. Kind of being a drama queen if you aren't even gonna ask any details before getting huffy over something that probably happened before you were even born....

@devotchkac8365 6 ай бұрын

@@imbwildrd3693how do you know he didn't just use that as an excuse to avoid confrontation with someone under the influence, to then leave the cockpit to go notify someone?

@SpaceCadet2569 5 ай бұрын

Congratulations to our very own Captain Kelsey. May your sky always be blue and your landings be soft like butter

@Vivien1501 3 ай бұрын

Whooaaa.... something extra YELLOW has landed on your shoulder's. Huge congratulations, looking 'great' Captain Kelsey!

@enigmawyoming5201 6 ай бұрын

CAPTAIN KELSEY! ! Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉!

@martyrichardson8851 6 ай бұрын

Glad to see they finally gave you that 4th bar. TY for all you do keeping us informed.

@KentTexas 6 ай бұрын

They didn't GIVE it to him! He EARNED it!!

@MultiChrisjb 6 ай бұрын

@@KentTexas i've always wanted to own a bar.

@YouPube_X 6 ай бұрын

@@KentTexaswas about to write that myself.

@georgiadavis8600 6 ай бұрын

Congrats on making captain. Lots of hard work finally paid off.

@andrest2003 6 ай бұрын

I live in Quito and did flight school here at the old airport which was even higher, this was a huge shame down here and well, the guy was fired. Saludos Capitan Kelsey !

@DrMarten 6 ай бұрын

CA of a B747. Congrats!!!! As a Former FA, it is always sooo wonderful to see an FO take the Right Seat!!! I've been following your channel for years and to you SIR Congratulations!!!

@DrMarten 6 ай бұрын

Now tell us your becoming a Captain story!!!!

@Philip_J 6 ай бұрын

Don't you mean the left seat ;D

@paulis7319 6 ай бұрын

@@Philip_J maybe this is his day off and his turn to be drunk. 🤣

@jenv4074 6 ай бұрын

@@Philip_Jjust means the "correct" seat!!

@jamierabie3670 6 ай бұрын

Congrats on becoming a captain!

@Gnosch 5 ай бұрын

Congratulations on your promotion to captain, very well deserved and I had tears in my eyes when I saw it! Cheers from Germany!

@JPspinFPV Ай бұрын

Apocalyptic is the correct description. Never could I have imagined that in my life the world would come to a screeching hault.

@Parawingdelta2 6 ай бұрын

That's what nightmares are made of. My father was an air traffic controller in the Royal Air Force. He told of an occasion where a Senior Air Traffic Controller (SATCO) was in the tower on duty, He was a Polish ex WW2 fighter pilot who no longer had flying status and had assumed ATC duties. As a result of the situation on the day, this officer got so confused and exasperated he started communicating with aircrew in Polish! He was removed from his chair by subordinate staff immediately. First thing I noticed was the extra bars. Congratulations.

@peggyh8937 6 ай бұрын

I don't understand how this could go on hours. The very first plane that had contact should have alerted someone to check on the tower. This is scary! Thanks, Kelsey and congratulations Captain! Happy Holidays to all!

@Mebsuta 6 ай бұрын

Call me a rightoid, but I blame PC culture. You don't want to be that white guy that accuses the latino worker of being compromised in their position.

@justicekrista5665 5 ай бұрын

I don't understand how this video can go on for what SEEMED like hours

@mowtivatedmechanic1172 5 ай бұрын

Alert who exactly?

@donkey7921 5 ай бұрын

@@mowtivatedmechanic1172 watch the video.

@aserta 5 ай бұрын

@@mowtivatedmechanic1172 Dispatch, which then works their magic. Like Kelsey said. You're the pilot, you don't have to deal with this, so don't.

@jameswest8280 2 ай бұрын

Congratulations on the 4th bar.

@dantemoose420 6 ай бұрын

Just recently discovered your channel, been spending the last week binge watching it while studying for my O&P'S. Gotta say, you've got a *very* soothing voice to study to. Thanks for making these, as a maintenance tech, it's interesting to see more of the pilots side of things.

@mishkamcivor409 6 ай бұрын

Astounded that not a single pilot that flew in or out of that airport whilst this was ongoing for at least an hour thought to let anyone know what was going on, if this controller was having a stroke or diabetic emergency he could have died without prompt medical attention not to mention any of the issues of having someone clearly impaired from their job controlling comercial traffic. Hope the guy was ok and glad nothing bad happened in the meantime.

@perdiddlepanskew8018 6 ай бұрын

It is unbelievably strange.

@hadevos 6 ай бұрын

Exactly what I was thinking. Apparently the pilots are so used to almost inaudible controllers (which often amazes me) that this doesn't alarm them.

@anteshell 6 ай бұрын

@@hadevos Inaudible? Do you mean incomprehesive? The sound volume has nothing to do with this, and if the tower speaks too quietly, there is volume controllers in the plane to compensate.

@EricLondaits 6 ай бұрын

I guess it's because they decided to take off or land... so now they have to claim nothing was off, otherwise they would be responsible for the decision they made, in knowing that the ATC was incapacitated to perform their task. Really bad.

@hadevos 6 ай бұрын

@@anteshell - I used the same word as used in the transcripts in the video (see 10:08 for example). But I have to say I was already doubting about using this word, because I thought of the same meaning you are mentioning. However, one could debate that this is not about comprehending, because that would come after you hear what the controller is saying. In this case you hear that the controller is saying something, but you don't hear what he is saying, let alone comprehend what he means.

@ABQSentinel 6 ай бұрын

Merry Christmas, Kelsey, and congratulations again on making Captain!

@larryfromtoledo 5 ай бұрын

You are my hero. Had my sights on a career towards the 747 freighter before 9/11. Made it to 727 FO and got diabetes. By the time I got it under control everything was shut down and I had to start over with a new Company. Didn't work out and now I fly via KZfaq. Keep healthy!

@JSB2500 4 ай бұрын

Oh Larry, what a life story! Something a bit similar happened to me around the same time, though I didn't get as far as you. At least you seem happy now!

@eduardootero2953 6 ай бұрын

Congrats Capt. Kelsey! The best of luck and God speed on all your flights.

@lawsonic 6 ай бұрын

You're not a doctor, but you are, now a Captain!

@rhennaostrander5910 6 ай бұрын

Someone should have called to see what the heck was going on with this controller. If something would’ve happened, I think they would’ve felt guilty for not doing anything.

@jaysmith1408 6 ай бұрын

Like in Vegas, they went to CTAF operations while some airline dispatcher called the medics

@clockworkvanhellsing372 6 ай бұрын

Yeah, I really don't understand how this could go on for hours without someone (like the pilots in the delta plane waiting to taxi) calling emergency services or somebody at all to check on the tower. It reminds me of the controller who had a heart attack, if nobody had cecked on her, she could have easily died.

@DaBoaringDragon 6 ай бұрын

@@clockworkvanhellsing372Do we know they didn’t call it in? Could be they did, but everything else in the chain of getting that guy out of there got bogged down somehow?

@clockworkvanhellsing372 6 ай бұрын

@@DaBoaringDragon that is a possibility, but still having this going on for multiple hours is bad. I'd expect an ambulance or the airport firefighters to be faster than that.

@Catpanl 6 ай бұрын

@@clockworkvanhellsing372it’s not America. Life is so important down there.

@LReBe7 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations on the fourth bar! I am not at all connected to the aviation industry, but I noticed immediately because I have been watching a lot of your videos! I love your videos, they make me feel like I want to be a pilot when I grow up (for reference: I am a 33 year old telecoms engineer and I could never do the constant jet lagged sleeping schedule).

@romanrohlfs 5 ай бұрын

So entertaining to listen your own stories like the “Amsterdam taxi wherever you want” that you throw in. I can feel your positive energy when you’re talking about your job as a pilot. (You really like what you’re doing) 🎉. Thank you for your time that you put into this channel to let us see your world. Congrats to your ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stripes Captain. Cheers from Seoul / Korea ☕️😎. Ps. (Have to think about your Korea Video when I landed 😄)

@196cupcake 6 ай бұрын

I used to drive busses for the university bus system, and when working the "drunk bus" 10pm-2am Fri/Sat shift, you'd report at the office at 10pm but wouldn't start driving until midnight. In part, it was an incentive - watch a movie or whatever while still getting paid - but it was also so that they could make sure you were sober enough to drive the bus.

@jort93z 6 ай бұрын

why not just do mandatory breathalyser tests?

@M_SC 6 ай бұрын

Clever

@M_SC 6 ай бұрын

@@jort93zyou know only the police had those until recently right? Couldn’t buy them at Walmart

@tritontransport 6 ай бұрын

@@M_SCyep and you have to be certified to use them legally and a breathalyzer isn’t even legal admissible evidence for police since they aren’t medically certified which is why police can only use them as probable cause to arrest you then you have to go have anBAC test done by a blood test

@tritontransport 6 ай бұрын

@@jort93zemployers can’t just give breathalyzer tests because they’re not considered proof or evidence of anything and they aren’t medical professional and those test kits can be manipulated to give false readings. They can’t even be used in court as evidence

@mysticlv1 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations on making Captain Kelsey, You made it. Great job! The Strips look good on you.

@joycetsai5106 5 ай бұрын

Congrats, Captain Kelsey! Thank you for all the informative and entertaining videos! I started following you 5 years ago when I was considering piloting school.

@wizardmix 6 ай бұрын

I've got to say that for as much of a culture of safety the commercial aviation industry is, it disheartens me how many flight crews are tolerating this controller's incapacitation. There are so many discreet ways this could have been handled and it's not just in the interest of everyone's safety, on the ground and in the air, it should be a genuine concern for the controller himself who could "sound drunk" but be dealing with any number of life-threatening issues. It's clear to any sober person that this is an incredible safety issue, one that should have closed the airport but for hours this controller was allowed to slur and fumble. Again, I find this sad and honestly just as much of a safety violation for the flight crews allowing this controller to continue operating. There is absolutely no way a controller would overlook a drunk sounding Captain or FO who is misreading callbacks and fumbling like this. PS -- congratulations, Captain. Nice to see those extra stripes.

@johnsrabe 6 ай бұрын

Exactly. The people who were NOT incapacitated should gave stepped up and taken responsibility, not hoped/assumed someone else would do it.

@profonde3460 6 ай бұрын

@@johnsrabe Many small regional aerodromes often have only 1 ATC in the tower. The other ATC may be on their break, elsewhere, or doing other duties, as, in small regional aerodromes they don't only do ATC. There was a woman ATC a few years ago who sounded drunk, but was actually having a "slow" Stroke. A Stroke can occur over several hours, even 2-3 days some times). The woman was in the Tower by herself at a mid-size airport, as the other ATO was on lunch break. Only 2 ATOs on duty, as happens at nearly all airports that aren't major ones. A pilot, eventually got a call/msg to somewhere/someone else at the airport (more than just the radio, to send communications), & person contacted came to the tower & alerted the ATO on break, to the issue..

@dylandepetro4187 6 ай бұрын

@@johnsrabe I agree. It is the mentality of “oh, someone else will step up and do it” that ensures nothing gets done. The right mentality to have is “someone’s gotta get the ball rolling, might as well be me” in a majority of situations.

@matthewhall5571 6 ай бұрын

⁠@@profonde3460it wasn't just a midsized one. It was McCarran, #7 in the US. ATC shortages are a big current and future problem in the US right now. They often don't have enough personnel for odd hours staffing safety redundancies that they probably should. It's a rock and a hard place.

@kayelle8005 6 ай бұрын

Yes. I kept thinking it could be a stroke or any other number of neurological issues and that alerting medical should be a priority, even if it means using your mobile to contact emergency services. I have an illness that comes on suddenly and can make me look like I’m drunk. My proprioception fails so I’ll start staggering and I’ll often fall over. My speech is often affected as well. I don’t slur my words but I stutter or it’s very halting and my eyes stop being able to track left and right or up and down and I get very light sensitive. If I happen to be in public when this happens and I fall over, no one comes and helps me. They either don’t care or they assume I’m drunk. It’s super disappointing.

@rikko9219 6 ай бұрын

wait... THOSE ARE 4 STRIPES!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Merry Christmas and happy new year Kelsey and everybody.

@baseballmomof8 6 ай бұрын

Yes. They showed up last week. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@UTarcher72 6 ай бұрын

4 bars, and you let your hair grow out!! Outstanding work Kelsey! Keep up the good work!!

@DillandShaj 6 ай бұрын

Just wanna say the video production quality and the animations have improved massively, it's impressive! Also congratulations on your 4th stripe!

@Chefin243 5 ай бұрын

I've missed only this single video and missed the most important part: Captain Kelsey! 👏👍 Congratulations, such a wonderful milestone! Always have safe landings! 😊

@Les__Mack 6 ай бұрын

I'm always drunk when I watch your videos so this is right up my alley! Thanks for another great video!

@johnstreet797 6 ай бұрын

You might consider flying for underground airways, "the impossible way to fly"

@patriciavankampen6136 6 ай бұрын

I'm from the Netherlands and i remember during the Covid pandemic a small plane pilot got clearance to access Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) airspace to just fly around . He took pictures and video showing a completelly desserted airport. It's was unreal to see, but for this pilot an once in a lifetime oppurtunity. When you mentioned that you could taxi at will when you where in Amsterdam i had to think of this pilot

@modavies8401 2 ай бұрын

During the Icelandic eruptions.LBA, Bradford, closed, and refused all traffic entry. LHR London Heathrow invited any piston engined private aircraft aircraft to carry out missed approaches, with the caveat that touching the runway would result in a four figure landing fee.

@ajnathan9490 2 ай бұрын

IMPAIRED is the word you're grasping for (doesn't unnecessarily accuse him of being drunk whilst still conveying that he is not (for wateva reason) functioning appropriately. Ps live your humorous banter 😂

@user-xl4zf5bk6c 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for your explaining things so clearly to us non-pilots! I hate flying, have almost crashed in a huge wind storm on a small charter in the San Juan Islands where all the alarms went off and our pilot yelled "HANG ON". Charter service shut down after our landing on a tree lined grass runway. The more knowledge I have, which you have helped me with, the better I feel. Still hate flying though.

@kamikazinyc 6 ай бұрын

Whoa, congrats captain, just noticed the extra strip!❤

@mapratt 6 ай бұрын

The fact that this went on for hours is amazing. Yes, someone should have reached out to their dispatch and raised the concern

@cloudstreets1396 6 ай бұрын

Here's the thing. If operations stop to check in on the tower controller, that could mean massive delays and/or cancellations. Who knows if anyone else is even around. It seems like the weather was VFR, it's a smaller airport and not super busy. If you can get out of there safely and get on with an approach controller that is not impaired, then you are all set. I'm sure the other aircraft were listening to the conversations going on and had a sense of where everyone was. I would just verify routing in the air. It's a really tough situation, but the guys on the ground looking to leave are definitely thinking about being stuck in Ecuador.

@gingerman5123 6 ай бұрын

@@cloudstreets1396I’d take massive delays over dead people 🤷‍♂️

@oldRighty1 6 ай бұрын

Yeah wondering how a pilot who landed didn't get off the plane and march up the tower.

@douglasphillips1203 6 ай бұрын

I know of a case like this (not airline related) where there _were_ reports made, and they were told "we are getting someone on it", but that still took several hours to resolve, and that was in the US. So it's entirely possible in this case that someone had been notified, they just didn't have someone that could get there in time. Orrrr they said "yeah we'll get on it" and just did nothing. Either way the pilots are in a rock and a hard spot.

@DeltaEntropy 6 ай бұрын

There’s not much US dispatch can for a controller in Ecuador. Just getting a translator would take longer than the aircraft has fuel for.

@gabriel.954 5 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for taking your time to make these videos. Thanks for sharing so much knowledge, insight and humor. I think you're awesome.

@joelmacdonald6994 6 ай бұрын

Unless I missed a video, and while I noticed a number of days ago, Kelsi has been promoted. I didn’t see a video where he announced it. I’m not even surprised if he didn’t make a video. Kelsi is a true professional, he doesn’t need personal recognition, he just wants to be better every day. We all knew he’d make captain, and I bet many of us are surprised it took so long. I’d fly with Kels any day, from the first video I ever saw from him. Congrats again, Kelsi.

@Dudee78 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations Captain Kelsey!!!!!!!!!!! Very proud of you.

@AV8R_1 6 ай бұрын

I saw a similar video about another air traffic controller, a female who was sounding very drunk over the radio, and the pilots on the frequency opted to call somebody to help her, and it turned out she was having a stroke and didn't know it. Poor thing.

@baseballmomof8 6 ай бұрын

I think Kelsey ran that video a year or so ago. Sad situation.

@jaredmickel5636 6 ай бұрын

That was Las Vegas. In that case the pilots really stepped up and started controlling themselves in a quasi-Unicom fashion, while getting help for the controller.

@timmack2415 6 ай бұрын

What we know for sure about the Las Vegas incident is: The controller was left alone in the tower. She was fresh out of her second stay at in-patient rehab. She resigned her position instead of taking paid medical leave. By her resignation, she forfeited her medical benefits, supposedly when she'd most needed them. A BOLO was issued stating that she was not allowed on airport property. While no official report was released, a reasonable person could look between the lines and judge for themselves.

@mclawyerlasvegas 6 ай бұрын

If it was Las Vegas, she had a stroke.

@robbob8617 6 ай бұрын

It actually wasn’t a stroke if you’re talking about Las Vegas

@petrac5f 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations on your upgrade!! As a dispatcher, this got me thinking...it would make for a very interesting shift!

@nahwaalnoorahdheen185 5 ай бұрын

Congratulations Captain Kelsey! iam currently studing to get my CPL license. you have been a great inspiration on my journey.

@muskiet8687 6 ай бұрын

What kills me is that since this is clearly a dangerous situation, it still went on for hours. He could be having a medical emergency or sent a plane into the mountains. A plane could be having an emergency and having to rely on this guy to get them down and get fire trucks to the runway. Sure, he's up there alone, but you can't tell me any of these pilots that had to deal with him couldn't call a number and get help up there faster than a few frickin' hours. Looks like they just decided they didn't want to deal with it and get the heck out of there.

@MikeOhhMinerals 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations on the left seat Kelsey! This situation is important as we constantly evaluate our information that’s transmitted. Excellent video!

@theophrastus3.056 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations on your promotion. An interesting scenario, but yes, the use of “we don’t feel safe” is appropriate for those taking off. The one coming in to land has a more difficult situation.

@adc19671 6 ай бұрын

Hi, Kelsey! Im not sure why I find you so entertaining, but I do. I'm scared to death of flying. It isn't natural. Man has no business in the sky, but I sure like watching your content. Keep up the good work and stay safe!

@MotJ949 6 ай бұрын

If this guy was having a medical event, they all did him dirty by not getting help to him.

@elduderino1635 3 ай бұрын

Underappreciated comment!

@codymoe4986 2 ай бұрын

"they all did him dirty by not getting help to him" They, as in, the pilots???

@MotJ949 2 ай бұрын

@@codymoe4986 yes, someone should have called for help, the controller was obviously not OK. There’s another ATC video floating around the internet where the controller was having a stroke and the pilots called for someone else in the tower to check on them. Time saves brain.

@james-p Ай бұрын

We don't know, but they probably did call to report the problem. It wouldn't be on the ATC tapes.

@onerider808 14 күн бұрын

Yeah, ‘they’ were all sitting in the break room laughing. They knew he was having trouble and just did him dirty, lol. WTF?

@squidleyskidley 6 ай бұрын

Four hours can literally be the difference between being able to get a clot-busting medication to reverse damage from a stroke or it being too late. Scary! I really hope this person is okay.

@MetsterAnn 6 ай бұрын

If it’s a hemmorhagic stroke there is no drug that will help. It’s not caused from a clot but a brain bleed. Seems most thought he was drunk since nobody called anybody, and that’s sad. If he was drunk, he should be fired and if he was in a medical emergency, he should be helped.

@squidleyskidley 6 ай бұрын

@@MetsterAnn yes, although the vast majority of strokes are ischemic, not hemorrhagic. So it’s more likely that time mattered.

@maryeckel9682 6 ай бұрын

The golden window! I hope this guy is ok

@annlidslot8212 6 ай бұрын

@@MetsterAnnHear, hear! Yours, Ann

@jilpok1074 6 ай бұрын

I have a feeling this was not a stroke. Low blood sugar perhaps. Or perhaps he took some medication that he didn’t know how he would react to. It is hard to imagine that he is drunk, but that’s also a possibility.

@paulm.7420 6 ай бұрын

Congrats on making Captain. It's always a great pleasure learning from you. Greetings from Germany

@artwizz4real 5 ай бұрын

Finally!! Wao! So proud of you Capt. Kelsey... We're all so proud of you. Always remember to "keep the blue side up" lol!

@FredFolkerts 6 ай бұрын

AMAZING explanation on what is going on, what a pilot is expecting, and your facial expressions when something doesn't sound right is spot on.

@hsbvt 6 ай бұрын

I think your company needs to send you to recruiting events...Happy Holidays everyone! Enjoy a cup of cheer...(as long as you are on the ground!) Take care everyone!

@cherveny 3 ай бұрын

I appreciate your videos. so many aviation posters just provide the voice channel audio, and no feedback or minimal feedback. your in depth explanations really help us laymen understand when we have only a cursory understanding

@paulturner2911 6 ай бұрын

Huge congrats on the promotion Kelsey, will be keeping an eye out on the waves for your future flights passing thru UK airspace. :)

@aaronbeaulieu6086 6 ай бұрын

All I want for Christmas is 8 gold bars. 4 on each shoulder. Congratulations, Captain Kelsey. Always Faithful, Always Forward Aaron Beaulieu

@Farnsworth11 6 ай бұрын

Lots of medical emergencies can make you seem "drunk." Diabetes, stroke, infection etc need to be considered.

@izzieb 6 ай бұрын

Viral meningitis is one such infection that is often mistaken for being drunk. I have personally known people who have died from it due to it being mistaken for them being drunk.

@allenking4682 6 ай бұрын

As a diabetic who's had a couple of low sugar episodes, I would probably rule that out. He was this way for several hours. When your sugar gets low, it only takes maybe 30 minutes before you're unconscious or so incapacitated that you can't even speak.

@Farnsworth11 6 ай бұрын

@allenking4682 I would not rule it out based on that. Hypoglycemia effects are a spectrum and every diabetic is different.

@diveforknowledge 6 ай бұрын

While true, this is a concern for the medics to address in person, not the pilot over the radio. I'm an EMT and a pilot, so I'd say I'm qualified to say the proper response is to: 1) refuse to accept the clearance, 2) call EMS to report a "impaired controller at XXXX airport, possible medical emergency" 3) call any management contacts at the airport and or airline and report "impaired controller on the ground/tower frequency, possible medical emergency. Please advise." The critical part of that statement is that it's a "possible medical emergency." Stating the possibility of medical rather than assuming alcohol triggers the "send help immediately" response rather than the "cover your ass and minimize liability" response. Plus drunks tend to be more cooperative with fire and EMS than with police. If only marginally.

@annlidslot8212 6 ай бұрын

@@izzieb I heard about that. I'm sorry that you had to learn about it too. Yours, Ann

@mish130 5 ай бұрын

"As far as I'm aware, a plane has never won a battle against a mountain". Kelsey, you crack me up. LOL

@English_Fun_for_Kids 6 ай бұрын

Hey congrats on becoming Captain Kelsey! Nice addition to the three you wore before. Well deserved🎉🎉🎉

@factzilla1868 6 ай бұрын

seems more likely to be a medical issue or extreme fatigue than a controller making the career-ending (and probably criminal) decision to turn up drunk. also hypoxia/mountain sickness can occur in even healthy individuals at Quito's altitude

@ACME_Kinetics 6 ай бұрын

Altitude sickness, maybe if he just moved there. If he lives there he should be acclimated. People who live at higher altitudes have more red blood cells and many other adaptations. A lot of athletes train at high altitudes for this reason .

@Roads_of_Europe 6 ай бұрын

Drunk. Search for it. The authorities tried to cover it up.

@andrewwayne777 6 ай бұрын

You think too highly of humans. He's obviously drunk. There have been an astounding number of controllers fired world wide for showing up drunk. There was a high profile one in Las Vegas just this year. The female tower controller was 3 sheets to the wind and yelling at people and swearing and laughing and talking nonsense. Then there was another in Cali Colombia where she was so drunk she forgot how to speak any English and carried on in Spanish for hours and none of the international flights could understand her.

@chrisschack9716 6 ай бұрын

@@andrewwayne777 I didn't think the one in Cali was drunk, just was under too much pressure and started to lose her English due to it, so worked with the aircraft she still could and ended up in trouble for it. This was due to multiple diversions from nearby.

@factzilla1868 6 ай бұрын

@@ACME_Kinetics actually mountain sickness can and does occur suddenly in people who've lived at altitude all their life. at 10K feet your body is constantly working on 30% less oxygen which is good for cardiovascular fitness in healthy individuals but is also known to adversely affect mortality when diseases progress. many things affect the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood including fitness, fatigue, diabetes, respiratory infection, dehydration, inflammation... it's almost quicker to list the things that don't, hence why oxygen saturation is an important vital sign for your overall condition. hypoxia is just the threshold at which there's symptomatic deficiency in tissue oxygenation which varies from person to person and all of those factors effectively lower the maximum altitude that an individual can tolerate.

@julzb7165 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations Captain Kelsey 🎉🥳👏

@TheFreaker86 6 ай бұрын

Reminds me of the incident that happened at Las Vegas International Airport a few years ago. The controller was not with her senses. Which prompted a pilot to make someone look after her up there

@sportster902 5 ай бұрын

Hey Kelsey, I am a new subscriber. I've been watching your videos since I got covid, and I must say I really enjoy all your videos. Thank you for keeping me entertained these last few days. Great content, I am a big fan. Be Safe out there. Steve from San Jose 😊

@alexanderkarl4025 6 ай бұрын

Go Captain Kelsey⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

@desmond-hawkins 6 ай бұрын

Wow. I landed in Quito a few years ago, and found the approach pretty scary with this late turn just over the mountains. It's already a challenging landing, I think I would have been even more worried thinking that the ATC controller was impaired…

@indahooddererste 6 ай бұрын

Also hot and high engine characteristics deterioate massivley.

@vicpz1 6 ай бұрын

How long ago did you land in Quito? They changed airports to the current one. The old one was very very scary with late turns on mountain etc.

@desmond-hawkins 6 ай бұрын

@@vicpz1 Interesting! I didn't know, thanks for mentioning this. I see that it changed in 2013, I went in ~2009 (maybe "a few years ago" wasn't quite the right way to put it). It looks like the new one is on more of a plateau, whereas the previous one was in the middle of the city. I can confirm the "very very scary" comment, with a late (left?) turn around a mountain to line up and then quickly touch down and brake super hard. It was certainly the scariest landing I've experienced. *edit:* Wow, the list of accidents on the Wikipedia page for the old airport is nuts.

@annlidslot8212 6 ай бұрын

@@desmond-hawkins Hi, I'm with you that. 2009 WAS a few years ago, but then I'm getting older by the day. Very rude of life, sneaking that on you there while you're busy with stuff. As the end user of aviation in this channel's comment section, I'd still rather stay on the ground than having all the (what 5 or so?) pilots around, trying to ATC themselves to a good solution. Except if I'm in the plane in the air. If the people up front don't have enough gas to divert to somewhere safer, I might agree with a decision of calling everybody up saying something like "Hey everybody! I'm in the air and I need to come down right now, or there are going to be some very surprised llamas shortly. Everybody stay where you are right now, 'cus I'm coming DOooooown!!..." After that I would be glad to shake the drivers hand (always at least two, right?) (drivers that is. Hands too usually but not as relevant.) on my way out, and then try to find ground transportation out of the place. Yours, Ann

@RPSchonherr 6 ай бұрын

Have you ever flown into Tegucigalpa, Honduras? I was a passenger on a plane flying into there and it was scary. Short runway, surrounded by mountains and the runway ended in a drop-off. The approach is to circle in a few laps to get down to the final and brake hard once you land. Lots of pucker on that one.

@andreaguillade7120 16 күн бұрын

Congrats on the 4 bars!!! A few years ago I had a stroke, I had no massive symptoms, I just sounded drunk because I slurred my speech and I had a hard time finding the words I wanted to form at times, then other times I was fine, and I felt relatively fine... no weakness on one side of the body, no face muscle laxness... the kind of things you look for if you suspect a stroke... it took almost a whole day for me to realise that something might be wrong and go to the ER just in case... clinical examination cleared me, it was only after the MRI that they found out I had had quite a large ischemic stroke. Good for you to be cautious and not just assume this ATC was drunk

@scottsymonaitis4441 Ай бұрын

Gtraz on the 4th bar. Thank you for sharing your experience and aviation facts. May your journeys be safe and inspiring.

@waynekotyk5233 6 ай бұрын

Congrats on #4. Well deserved. Looks great on you. I am a retired first responder and it was always a proud moment getting an advanced epaulet or medal. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Fly safe!

@AusNetFan13 6 ай бұрын

Greetings Kelsey. Again, congratulations on becoming a Captain. You deserve it. Wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Be safe out there during this season. 🎄🎊👍

@lonewolf5238 2 ай бұрын

I am new to your channel, but from what I've seen so far, I gotta say you are without doubt, the king of understatement! ------- Subscribed, goes without saying

@Fee212 Ай бұрын

Congratulations again, Captain Hughes. You did it! I'm so happy for you. Hooray for Kelsey. I remember hearing on 74Gear the ATC lady having the stroke. It was so scary. xXx

@ElijahPerrin80 6 ай бұрын

I was a dispatcher when I began getting migraines and it was a very confusing time for me and my cabs, going from being an acceptable dispatcher to garbage in waves and I was unaware and getting angry. Very odd for me. I hope he is ok.

@RiDankulous 6 ай бұрын

It sounds like you got better or have it under control. I hope so! I suffered from migraines. During that time I started taking a antidepressant and I believe they were away because of the medication. I’ve been on this medicine for many decades now.

@ElijahPerrin80 6 ай бұрын

@@RiDankulous it is slowly getting better but very slowly

@bubbaoriley7864 6 ай бұрын

The FAA started alcohol testing controllers back in the 90's with zero tolerance for >.04BAC(immediate dismissal). Prior to that it was quite common for the ATC facility to smell like a brewery mostly due to controllers coming in still drunk from the night before, but a few were hard core alcoholics who drank on the job. Alcohol testing didn't eliminate the problem, but did cut back on it tremendously. Don't know what was going on here, but it wouldn't surprise me if the problem is still widespread in countries that don't have such rigid protocols for alcohol testing.

@kaasmeester5903 6 ай бұрын

Yikes. Even keeping to the 10 hours "bottle to throttle" or whatever the equivalent for ATCs is, if you had a couple of good ones the evening before, or if you drink regularly, it can still affect your performance the next day. Well beyond those 10 hours.

@alanm5013 6 ай бұрын

I thought about training to be ATC but decided my aged brain doesn't have the ability any more to juggle that many things at once and make the correct decisions 100% of the time, even sober. It's hard to imagine how anyone could do it impaired!

@mytech6779 6 ай бұрын

@@alanm5013 You can only start training if you are under 30.

@jameswikstrom4174 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations Kelsey on your promotion to Captain! You are The boss in the cockpit now! 😀👍

@lakeireland 6 ай бұрын

It made me giggle (between horrified stares) how enthusiastic the ATC was about giving weather reports.

@mrbeedoze 6 ай бұрын

Left seat, well earned! Congratulations Captain!

@johannesweitz8497 6 ай бұрын

Congratulations Captain. Well deserved.

@marlagryboski4685 5 ай бұрын

Congratulations on your 4th bar Kelsey! I always enjoy your videos.

@bayricker 6 ай бұрын

Congrats on the promotion. Well deserved and great way to end the year of 2023.

@jamestoepfer7601 6 ай бұрын

I see your epaulets are sporting 4 bars now. Congratulations on your upgrade, Captain Kelsey! Well deserved!

@BugSmasher9 6 ай бұрын

Congrats Captain Kelsey! I have been waiting for this moment for a long time! Well Done!😀

@petruzzovichi 6 ай бұрын

You look terrific with your Captain Stripe and of course your videos are always top notch. Well done again.

@sallygough5409 6 ай бұрын

I am SO very proud of both you and those 4 bars Kelsey! Well done - you’ve done so well and worked hard. Congratulations and a very happy and blessed Christmas 😁🤗👍❣️❣️