Pilot Films the Aftermath of His Plane Crashing into the Ocean | 22 Words

There's a reason that so many people have a chronic phobia of flying...

Of course, the chance of an airplane crashing is a million to 1; in fact, you're more likely to experience a car crash than a plane crash.

But when a plane crash does happen, the qualified pilots are on hand to try to get things under control or even film the experience on their phone... wait, what?

This one pilot found the lighter side of crashing his plane into the ocean and documented the entire thing on his phone. Keep scrolling to hear about this incredible story...

 

Flying isn't for everyone...

The fear of flying is considered irrational due to the fact that, as the BBC outlined, you're more likely to die from a car accident or cancer than in an airplane crash.

For many, airplanes carry way too many risks to get on board of one...

Here in the States, seventeen percent of us have admitted to being too afraid to fly, according to a survey conducted by Boeing. This includes many different reasons, including claustrophobia, the fear of crashing, and even the fear of just simply being in the air.

But despite the chances of crashing being extremely rare...

Many don't like to take that chance and opt for either not traveling at all or alternative methods such as trains or boats.

Some would much rather travel by boat or train...

Reportedly, the late David Bowie had a bad experience with turbulence in the 1970s and, ever since this experience, he'd refuse to travel via plane and would opt for boats or trains instead.

But despite the select few who choose to stay away from planes...

Flying is one of the most popular methods of travel around the world, and many hold professions in the world of aviation.

Such as David Lesh...

The professional skier and videographer is well known for his Instagram account that is packed full of adventurous content that sees David travel the world with his outdoor wear brand, Virtika.

David is a close friend of the notorious Dan Bilzerian...

Which all of a sudden explains his lavish and expensive lifestyle and the fact that he has his very own pilot's license and airplane.

David took to Instagram recently to show off his "new toy..."

His turbocharged A36 Bonanza was bought as a quick and safe way of flying and, being a pilot for 9 years, he knows what's best. Well, what happened a few months later simply did not play in the plane's favor...

Earlier this week, David took his plane out for a photoshoot over the California coast...

Accompanied by his friend, Kayla, he took to the stunning coast of California. But disaster was soon to strike...

Is anybody afraid of flying?

Stop reading, right now...

David experienced an engine failure when flying over the ocean...

Luckily, he was able to softly land the plane on the water rather than completely crashing. Speaking to NBC, David said: "We skipped along the water for a few hundred feet and the impact was very minimal…we immediately opened the door and got out onto the wing."

David wasn't the only pilot in the sky that day...

Fellow pilot, Owen Leipelt, was flying in the same area and managed to capture David's water-landing on camera.

Despite the fact that his plane was sinking into the water, David and his friend were in high spirits...

"I grabbed my cell phone and the keys to the car. I knew I had about 20 or 30 seconds before it sunk," he went on to say. David filmed the entire thing on his waterproof phone and these videos were posted to Twitter by ABC7.

David and Kayla weren't alone in the ocean...

"It got cold pretty quickly. After about 20 minutes or so, I started to freeze up pretty good," David said. "There was jellyfish everywhere. We just waited as long as we could on the wing. The plane went down, we got into the water. Jellyfish were stinging us the entire time we were in there."

David's luck was boosted by Owen flying his plane nearby...

If it wasn't for Owen flying in the same area, who knows how long David and Kayla would have been stranded in the water for?

Owen witnessed the entire thing...

Speaking to KTVU, Owen said: "I had been circling the whole time, from the time it impacted water. For about 10 minutes I couldn’t see him."

A pilot's navigation...

"At one point I lost them," Owen said. "I had been circling and I couldn't see them anymore, and David called me on the phone as he was bobbing in the water. He turned me around and he guided me right to where he was."

Things could have been so much worse...

Owen added: "Your heart sinks when you hear, 'Mayday, I have no power.' It’s something you don’t want to hear, and it takes a second to kick in."

David and Kayla were transported to the U.S Coast Guard Station in San Fransisco...

And, despite having a few jellyfish stings and a bit of a chill, the pair were in good health and spirits.

David seems extremely relaxed despite the fact that he's just sunk his plane...

But, let's face it, a friend of Dan Bilzerian's will be up in the sky in a brand new plane in no time! Speaking of planes, did you know that you can't take a peacock on a plane? Not even if it's an emotional support peacock. Ridiculous. Keep reading for the story of a woman who tried to bring a peacock on a plane.