2. The airplane's gear was down for landing. But the
Baron was so heavy with ice that it couldn't hold altitude,
even with full power from both 285-horsepower engines.
Flood also welcomed the chance to
fly with Rajagopal Samasundaram, 29,
a highly regarded corporate pilot and
flight instructor who came to Nebraska
by way of Singapore.
"Raj was one of the best pilots we had,"
Flood said. "I only had about five hours
in the Baron, and Raj had hundreds-
so I knew he could teach me a lot."
The two launched into early morning
murk, and they soon started picking up
traces of ice at their cruising altitude of
6,000 feet. A cold front was forecast to
come through later that day, but the pi-
lots expected to finish their flight well
ahead of it.
"It was light rime ice," Flood said.
"Every time I clicked on the de-ice
boots, it fell right off."
They went up to 8,000 feet, but the
situation didn't improve. Then they lis-
tened to the ASOS at their destination
and it reported freezing rain-a grave
danger to aircraft. The Baron they were
flying wasn't certified for flight into
known icing conditions, and the pilots
immediately altered their plan.
"We're not going there," Samasun-
daram said. "Let ATC know we're di-
verting to Ainsworth."
Ainsworth, a non-towered airport,
was behind them on the route they had
already traveled. About 45 minutes by
car from Valentine, hospital workers
could drive there to pick up the medi-
cal supplies.
Ainsworth's weather was better: a
ragged ceiling at about 800 feet and
good visibility under the clouds.
There was a VOR on the field, and
a non-precision approach allowed
IFR arrivals to descend to 500 feet
above the flat farmland.
As they began a VOR Approach
to Runway 17 at Ainsworth, the ice
was getting thicker, and the Baron's
front windshield became totally
opaque. Listening to the ASOS, the
pilots heard a report of freezing
rain and mist. But they were break-
ing out of the clouds and could see
lights on the ground. They contin- Brian Williams (left) helpedrescue LoganFlood
ued their approach hoping to get andlater flew as a passengerin Flood'sYankee.
AOPA PILOT. 74 .OCTOBER 2008
their ice-encrusted airplane to the run-
way as quickly as possible.
Flood activated the windshield alco-
hol system and watched the de-icing
fluid trickle back and over the side win-
dows. The flow stopped when the alco-
hol was gone, but the sheet of ice still
clung to the windshield.
"We knew we were in trouble," he
said.
The To/From indicator on the VOR
indicator flipped as the Baron crossed
over the airport, and the pilots could
see runway lights pass below them.
Instead of climbing back into the icy
clouds, Samasunduram started a left
turn to circle back to Runway 17. He'd
keep the runway in sight through the
clear left side window.
The airplane's gear was down for land-
ing. But the Baron was so laden with ice
that it couldn't hold altitude, even with
full power from both 285-horsepower
engines.
"I felt the airframe shudder," Flood
said. "We were stalling."
The airplane was in a slight left turn
and just crossing over a farmer's home
when the bottom fell out. It was 7:04
a.m., and the sun was still below the
horizon. Flood could see a harvested
cornfield with rows of chopped stalks
beneath them.
"I remember hearing the propellers
hit the frozen ground," Flood said.
"That's the last thing I remember be-
fore impact."
That ambulance is for Raj
Flood regained consciousness still
strapped in his seat. But the seat was ly-
ing on its side in the rear of the aircraft.
Samasundaram was slumped in the
left seat, not moving.
Flood had been unconsciousness less
than two minutes. But during that time,
fire had torn through the aircraft and
charred both occupants. Flood didn't
know it yet, but second- and third-de-
gree burns covered most of his body,
and he'd eventually lose all, or part, of
every finger on his right hand.
With great effort, Flood wriggled for-
ward, still hooked to his seat.
The right door and most of the right
side of the aircraft were gone, and the
airplane was upright, with fire smolder-
ing on the wings. The Baron had car-
ried enough avgas to return to Lincoln
without refueling, at least 60 gallons.
He tried to wake Samasundaram, but
the pilot wasn't breathing, and Flood
couldn't move him.
Flood untangled himself from the
seatbelt harness and began stumbling
across the cornfield, toward the air-
port where he hoped to find a phone to
summon rescuers. He could see the air-
port beacon and runway lights about a
half-mile away, but his progress was
slow in the rain and darkness. His
contact lenses had melted on his
eyes, blurring his vision.
"I thought no one had seen us
crash," he said. "Then I saw two sets
of headlights coming toward me."
It was Brian Williams, the farmer
whose home the plane had nar-
rowly missed, driving a pickup, and
Kendra Hallenbeck, who had been
driving her own pickup to work
when she saw the airplane fall.
"Is there anyone still in the air-
! plane?" Williams asked Flood.
He told him about Samasun-
daram.
Then, with Williams and Hallen-
beck assisting, Flood climbed into

3. the passenger seat of her pickup and
they began driving to a hospital. They
moved slowly, about 10 miles an hour,
because freezing rain made the roads
dangerously slick. An ambulance went
by in the opposite direction. Should
they flag it down?
No, Flood said. "That ambulance is
for Raj."
Unknown to Flood, Samasundaram
had already died. Williams and the
emergency workers about to arrive at
the accident site couldn't save him.
As Flood rode to the hospital, he began
to feel pain. Adrenaline was wearing off
and the sun was rising. Flood could see
his jeans were burned away, his sweater
was melted, and his exposed skin was
black and wrinkled. He was covered
with mud and dirt, and since Nebraska
farmers typically let cattle graze in har-
vested fields, Flood realized his burns
were sure to become infected.
Flood shivered, a common physical
symptom among burn victims unable to
regulate body temperature. And he felt
the onset of an unquenchable thirst.
"Hold my hand," he told Hallenbeck.
"I'm scared."
'I threw in the towel'
Flood's parents, David and Lennette,
had always supported his quest to fly,
and they had encouraged him to live at
home during college so that he could
spend his earnings on flying.
When David, a truck driver, and Len-
ette, a homemaker, met their son at
the hospital in Lincoln on February
7, 2001, they learned that in the cold
calculus of burn victims a simple for-
mula sets a patient's odds for survival:
Add their age to the percentage of skin
burned and subtract that number from
100. In Flood's case, 22 years old plus
65 percent burns gave him a 13 percent
chance of living. And Flood's doctors
weren't that optimistic because smoke
had badly damaged his lungs.
The doctors kept Flood in a state of
suspended animation for three weeks.
During that time, Williams visited the
hospital and wrote brightly in the guest
registry that he hoped they could go
flying together once Flood recovered.
But when the farmer actually saw the
young man, he almost regretted help-
ing save his life.
A signed get-well card (left) from Chuck
Yeagerencouraged Logan Flood during
his long recovery. Logan and Andrea
Flood had their first child, Gavin, last
year, and Logan credits the boy with
convincing him to pursue his profes-
sional goals. "I knew I'd have to explain
to him why I didn't at least try."
AOPA PILOT.75. SEPTEMBER 2008
.[;).
1
~ . .
jmI
:::::
, J r I f'" --',.
... WlII..vr~ "';1"-1,
S8nd ~ less
DataA~ Unit
a1
(])
fJ?
WT~81 ..t:J][b 'fJ@J!1l1
&11:ffiJ!I3
~
[J)
J.RIl1!Itrumets Inc.
,PO Box 7033
Huntington Beach CA 92646
81JO.345-4574, 714-557-3805
Jp ents.com
JPI74 .com

4. "He was just struggling for every
breath," Williams said. "I wondered if
he wouldn't have been better off not
having to suffer like that"
When Flood opened his eyes, his
hospital room was decorated with air-
plane pictures and family photos. His
parents knew he was going to be there
for months, and they wanted to make
it feel as much like home as possible.
When Flood saw his own reflection,
however, he began to realize how
much his life had changed-and how
long his road to recovery would be.
Flood took stock of his future and real-
ized flying for the airlines was out of
the question.
"I pretty much threw in the towel,"
he said.
Have you tried?
Flood began walking six months after
the accident, several months ahead of
schedule.
Then he went back to school and
earned a pair of technology degrees. He
got an information technology job but
chafed at sedentary office work. He was
determined to get back to the airport-
even if he couldn't fly.
+ 142 Training Aircraft
+ 4,500+FAACertificates
Issued Annually
+ 20 Locations Nationwide
Check Outwww.ALLATPS.com
for Location Specials!
Fly with the Nations Leader in
Accelerated, Multi-Engine Flight Training
Airline Career Pilot Program
190 Hours Multi-Engine Experience!
For more info on ATP's "Total Twin Training" Airline Career Pilot Program.
check out www.ALLATPS.com or see our ad in the front of this issue.
O§@!?!t_~djOj
~1u_JI
Riverside~Long BeacH
eigh"
rham
CFI Program
1!! Injust 14days, earn your initialCFI
I
~ certificate with mufti,single &instrument
'i; ratings. Available at select training centers.
!J Checkwebsiteforprerequisites.
:<5
",'"
I-.
§.
:;:;
Ratings & Certifications
Multi-Engine Rating 10-HolJr $3.795/4 Days
! CFI Multi $2.495/2 Days
CFI Multi & CFII $3.795/5 Days
I ATP Certificate $2.495/2 Days
. i ATP Written & Certificate $2.695/3 Days
I ATPor FEXWritten $295/1 Day I
-- -- -- J
+ CFIMulti
+ CFISingle
+ CFllnstrument
$6.995/14 Days
www.ALLATPS.com
Flight Training Program Information
www.PilotJobs.com
Regional Airline Hiring Information
GETTHECOMPERRVE EDGE
(;;;'~In /~ " J J /Jf
www.BeAnAirlinePilot.com
Sign up for a Pilot Career Coach 800-255-2877 .info@allatps.com
Flood joined Duncan Aviation in Lin-
coln as a parts expeditor in 2006, and
that rekindled his interest in flying. He
had no hesitation about getting back in
the cockpit after the crash, but he insist-
ed on meeting his former standards.
He bought a quarter-share in a Grum-
man Yankee and was surprised to find
he could still perform to ATP standards.
He even flew to Ainsworth and took Wil-
liams for a ride-the one the farmer had
hinted at in his cheery hospital note.
Flood resumed teaching as a CFI in
2007. He also began flying a friend's Cir-
rus SR22 and was dazzled by the glass-
panel avionics. While waiting for depar-
ture behind a regional jet, one of Flood's
flight students asked him a question
that struck him as absurd: How come
you aren't flying for an airline?
"No airline would ever hire me," Flood
answered dismissively. "My appearance
would scare the bejesus out of passen-
gers. Get real."
But Flood's student persisted. Well,
have you tried?
Tell him he's got guts
Flood married Andrea Pflughaupt in
2004, a nurse he had met the previous
year, and Williams and Hallenbeck, his
rescuers, were guests at the wedding.
In 2007, the Floods had a son, Gavin.
And Gavin's arrival convinced Flood to
pursue his own ambitions.
"I knew that one day, I'd have to ex-
plain to my son why I gave up on be-
coming a professional pilot," he said. "I
wanted to be able to honestly tell him
that I had done everything I possibly
could do to accomplish my goal."
Flood posted a query on an aviation
Web site that asked whether he had
any real chance of becoming a profes-
sional pilot given his personal history
and physical limitations. His inquiry
generated scores of responses-some
encouraging, others not
After many months, Flood obtained
a "statement of demonstrated ability"
medical waiver from the FAAand a first-
class medical, and he applied to several
regional airlines. Republic Airways, are-
gional carrier that flies feeder routes for
several major U.S. passenger airlines,
was the first to grant an interview.
Flood was terrified before the meet-
ing. Would the questioners see past his
obvious physical disfigurement? Could
he convince them that he could repre-
sent their company proudly?
"Assoon as I stepped into the room, I
could tell that they wanted to give me a
AOPA PILOT. 76 . SEPTEMBER 2008

5. chance," he said. "That's what I wanted
more than anything."
Flood got an invitation to begin train-
ing the next week. He was on his way
to becoming a professional pilot-if he
could make it through training.
In a flight simulator, Flood confronted
one of the biggest potential stumbling
blocks-operating the thrust reversers
with his gnarled right hand. He found
he could manipulate the levers with ei-
ther hand, but not in the standard way.
The absent fingers on his right hand
required that Flood hold the ram'shorn
yoke in the Embraer 170 differently, too.
Flood wasn't sure his improvised
methods would pass muster with his
simulator instructor, or FAA examin-
ers. But Marty Cupp, a veteran airline
pilot and FlightSafety International
simulator instructor who guided Flood
through jet transition training, assured
him there was no right or wrong way to
hold the controls or move the levers.
The regulations demand a certain level
of performance from pilots, but they
don't spell out how pilots achieve it.
"Logan knows how to overcome and
adapt, and that's especially true in the
cockpit," Cupp said. "His dexterity is
amazing. He's a good stick, and he finds
ways to make the airplane work for him."
Flood, now 30, began flying regional
jets in and out of Chicago's O'Hare In-
ternational Airport in March 2008. He
felt comfortable in the flying part of his
new job almost immediately. But he
was nervous about the reception he'd
receive from crewmembers and pas-
sengers. His scars were as prominent as
ever, and no uniform could hide them.
When flying with a captain he doesn't
know, Flood usually tells the story of
his accident once the airplane is at high
altitude and the workload light. He dis-
cusses it in a factual, low-key manner
and answers questions with candor
and even humor.
"I let people know it's OK to ask," he
said. "It puts them at ease knowing they
don't have to tiptoe around the subject.
I don't mind talking about it."
On a recent flight between Chicago
and Denver, Flood flew directly over
Ainsworth, the site of his 2001 crash.
On a clear day, from 35,000 feet, he
could clearly make out the north-south
runway and the nearby cornfield where
he had lost a friend, and where his own
life had nearly ended. On a spring af-
ternoon, the green peacefulness of the
place was a refreshing contrast to his
stark memories of it.
AOPA PILOT. 77 . SEPTEMBER 2008
Passengers in airline terminals some-
times stare at Flood. And he steels
himself for the day he says he knows
INTERACTIVE~
AOPA PILOT ONLINE
Listen as Logan Flood describes
his accident and recovery on AOPA
Pilot Online.
www.aopa.orgjpilotjLoganFlood
will come when his appearance so un-
nerves a passenger that he or she re-
fuses to ride with him.
But so far, the only comments Flood
has heard have been supportive. Aflight
attendant told him one passenger took
her aside to ask whether Flood had
been injured in an aircraft accident.
When the flight attendant said yes, the
passenger asked her to relay a message.
"Tell him he's got guts," the passenger
said. "Tell him I admire him" AICM
E-mail the author at dave.hirschman@
aopa.org.
PI~
MY-CAST.~"._;.
NASDAQGRMN
Now, get weather briefings
and file flight plans -
all on your mobile phone.
With Pilot My-Cast@ by Garmin, your mobile phone
becomes a virtual flight service station - bringing instant
"wireless weather intelligence"'" right to the palm of your
hand. Check out current and forecast National Weather
Service data, including animated Nexrad Doppler. color
radar, METARs, TAFs,TFRs, winds aloft, lightning, flight
conditions, satellite cloud imagery, and more. Plus, you
can even use DUAT(S) to file flight plans. Pilot My-Cast.
remembers your flight plan entries - so next time, you
only need to re-enter the data that has changed for the
new flight plan. Easy,fast, Smart? Absolutely.
To see about adding Pilot My-Cast@ to your existing
wireless service, just call 1-866-669-2278. Or go to
www.digitalcyclone.com/pilot
.GAR MIN.
D'gl!;1 Cydoee