NTSB investigators reviewing YouTube videos of rebuilt plane involved in deadly Chesco crash

The airplane involved in a deadly crash near Coatesville, Pennsylvania, had been the subject of an aircraft salvage YouTube channel that is now being reviewed by federal investigators.

The Gruman GA-7 Cougar airplane crashed shortly after it took off from Chester County Airport around 1:39 p.m. Thursday, killing the pilot, 65-year-old Sam Ganow.

The victim was a longtime member of the Octorara Area School District.

According to a group that calls itself 'Rebuild Rescue,' the aircraft had been purchased and rebuilt after a previous crash. The plane was the subject of several YouTube videos that documented how the plane was rebuilt and eventually flown.

[onebridge]

Oh man, Sam from Rebuild Rescue who donated the plane they’re working on. R.I.P. Sam, you were a great asset and ambassador to the private pilot community.

[cobra]

A&P mechanic here. I watched a few of the videos and didn't see anything wrong. It's YouTube so I know they don't show everything but what they showed seemed like they did everything right.

It's sad. He just fueled up and from what I can see it looks like the right engine quit. He struggled to gain altitude and speed and at the very end reports are he was well below minimum control speed. From the wreckage it looks like a stall-spin. He was only a couple hundred feet above and well below the altitude needed to safely recover from a stall-spin. In that plane an engine out on take off is the worst possible thing that could go wrong and it is one of the most difficult things to deal with. I'm sure "pilot error" will be included in the final report but it's not really fair. You have half a second to make a decision and most decisions you make are going to be the wrong ones and you don't get a do over.

I've been in the hanger when planes have gone down and the first you hear about it is when investigators show up looking for records and to talk to mechanics who worked on the plane. Do not assume Rescue Rebuild did anything wrong here. It's normal for them to dig into the maintenance records and any evidence they can for the condition of the plane before hand.

Prayers to everyone affected by the loss.

[tiladx]

I found Rebuild Rescue when the "Free Abandoned Airplane" videos were randomly suggested in my feed. Sam was such a joy to see on screen. He will be missed by millions around the world.

[CaptMark]

I am a retired airline pilot. I have watched every single video of Rebuild Rescue working on this plane. It is clear that they went beyond what the regulations require in repairing all damage and making sure the airplane was airworthy. The engines had just been thoroughly examined by a company that specializes in such things and given a clean bill of health. I absolutely agree that the FAA and NTSB should examine all the videos and the attendant paperwork with a fine-tooth comb. After all the work, an extensive annual inspection was performed and then reviewed and signed off on by a different certified aircraft mechanic with Inspection Authorization credentials. That, of course, doesn't guarantee that there were no hidden problems, but it does tend to show that the folks involved did all they could do.

All possible causes are still on the table. Structural failure, engine failure, pilot error: all these and other things must be considered and ruled in or out. Many aircraft accidents are the result of a combination of factors. I say let the professionals do their job and find the real root cause(s). If there is fault or blame of any kind found, the FAA will take whatever action they deem appropriate. The NTSB does not assign blame. They determine the cause and recommend changes in rules or procedures that may help avoid similar accidents in the future.

[samsager]

Sad. I watch the channel all the time. RIP Sam

[innercityprepper]

This is insane, I've been watching Rebuild Rescue for 2 years now. RIP Sam.

[Apittslife]

R-I-P Sam. May Your Friends, & Family, Celebrate Your Life, & Passions!

[mklnm]

I watched all the videos with interest, Sam was a kind man and a professional and reliable pilot, I was sorry to hear about the accident, my condolences to his family, Jason and the entire crew, I hope you recover and fly the 401 soon in his honor, he would certainly have wanted to fly this plane. Very unfortunate and sad

[stephanfiebich]

This is a tragedy and the guys at Rebuild Rescue are great people, I'm so very sorry about Sam.

[PilotPrysten]

I've been watching them for a year now, my deepest condolences to the family and the rescue team.

[alirahman]

I was expecting and rebuild rescue episode and to see this news my jaw dropped in disbelif.

[theobserver]

So so sorry! I like the community of Rebuild Rescue youtubers is devastated about Sam's demise. Can't imagine what Jason and the team are going through! My thoughts and prayers to Sam's family and the team of Rebuild Rescue!😢

[Soldierboy]

I am an avid fan of rebuild rescue, and Sam was an integral part of the team! It is imperative that the FTSB investigate, and find what went wrong to prevent this from happening again, and saving someone else’s life!

[Bradenboy]

May Sam from Rebuild Rescue rest in peace 😢❤

[malcolmellis]

I'm in Australia..it's Sunday morning n I just got online to watch the latest episode of Rescue...n this is the first thing I see...devestated ..
RIP Sam. ..🙏

[robertgentry]

Rebuilding a salvageable aircraft is not a problem if done correctly and legally. Although possible, this is likely not the cause of the accident. Will be interesting to see what the problem was. Prayers for the pilot’s family.

[kuckoo]

As contradictory as it may sound to some, losing an engine on a light twin is potentially more hazardous than losing an engine in a single -engine aircraft, especially after takeoff.

[stagman]

That is shocking. RIP Sam and love to your family and the guys at RBR

[planewire]

Comm pilot/ MEI/ engineer here, I’m going to guess engine failure and vmc roll which occurs 90% of the time, light twins are not required to have any climb performance if an engine fails, and even though pilots are required to demonstrate an engine failure on a practical test a real world failure is different. And airplanes aren’t the same as automobiles, A&Ps perform inspections on the aircraft’s structure and engine and can change components as needed, almost every general aviation aircraft flying today is like 60 years old

[CJZ]

Clarification: when they say the plane was previously in a crash, all that happened was that it suffered a prop strike (the propeller hit the runway during an unstable landing). The propellers were replaced and the engine thoroughly inspected. No further damage was done to the airplane in that previous "crash".