Skip to main content

Man grabs smartphone to video crash of plane in which HE’S a passenger

plane crashIf you were a passenger in a single-engine aircraft that’s minutes from making a crash landing, would you 1- write notes to loved ones in case you don’t make it out alive, 2- wet yourself while screaming “We’re all gonna die”, or 3- both 1 and 2.

During a birthday flight (a birthday flight!) over Cache County in Utah recently, passenger Jonathan Fielding did none of the above. Instead, when the pilot told him the plane’s engine was seizing up, he grabbed his smartphone and filmed the rather nerve-racking journey back to terra firma.

Fielding was on board the Cessna 175 plane with his wife (it was her first ever flight), their seven-month-old baby son and his wife’s mother.

Calm

With the pilot anxiously looking for somewhere to bring the plane down, Fielding, with admirable calmness, reassures his family that everything will be OK,  uttering the following lines as the plane descends to Earth:

– “This is kind of exciting.”

– “We’re looking for a place to land.”

– “It’s kinda scary and kinda exciting at the same time.”

– “I’m not worried.”

– “I think we’re gonna be just fine.”

And all this while still managing to compose some delightful shots of Utah’s stunning wintry landscape. The pilot, however, remains silent, hopefully deep in concentration rather than busy internally disagreeing with everything Fielding is saying.

Ninety seconds into the extraordinary video, the plane crashes onto a snow-covered field, finishing upside down and pretty beaten up. Miraculously, everyone on board walked away from the wrecked aircraft relatively unharmed.

“The pilot was experienced in field landings but unfortunately the snow caused the landing gear to sever from the plane, flipping the plane front to back and smashing the tail before it came to a rest upside down,” Fielding wrote after the incident. “No one was hurt in the accident save for bruises, whiplash and minor cuts.”

Fielding kept his phone running throughout the descent and crash landing, though the impact caused it to fly out of his hand. At the end of the video, Fielding asks his wife, “Will you ever fly again?” to which she replies, somewhat bravely, “Yes.”

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Don’t buy this new Motorola phone — get this other one instead
Renders of the Moto G 5G (2024) and Moto G Power 5G (2024).

the Moto G 5G (left) and Moto G Power 5G Digital Trends

Budget phones can slip under the radar when shiny, powerful flagships launch. But if you're in the market for a smartphone that gets the job done and won't blow a four-figure hole in your bank balance, then a great budget smartphone is the way to go.

Read more
Get 32% off the cellular model of the iPad Pro 12.9 this weekend
The iPad Pro on a desk next to a stylus and AirPods.

If you've been thinking about getting the iPad Pro with cellular connectivity but you've been hoping to buy the tablet from iPad deals for a discount, this may be what you've been waiting for -- a 32% discount from Amazon's Woot on the 12.9-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular model of the 2021 Apple iPad Pro with 128GB of storage. From $1,199, it's down to just $810, which is a steal price for this device with savings of $389. However, while there are still several days left on this offer, it's highly recommended that you proceed with the purchase immediately because there's a chance that stocks don't last that long.

Why you should buy the 2021 Apple iPad Pro 12.9
It's not the latest version of Apple's top-of-the-line tablet -- the honor goes to the 2022 Apple iPad Pro -- but the 2021 Apple iPad Pro is still a pretty powerful device by today's standards. That's because it's equipped with Apple's M1 chip, which promises fantastic speed and excellent graphics when you're working on your multimedia projects, multitasking between several apps, or playing console-level games. With its 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR touchscreen, you'll enjoy high-brightness and high-contrast content, and its mini-LED display provides deeper black levels and more vibrant colors.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: all the big changes, explained
Renders of the Samsung Galaxy A55 next to the Galaxy A54.

Galaxy A55 (left) and Galaxy A54 Digital Trends

Samsung has been on a roll with new phone releases in 2024. At the end of January, Samsung released the flagship Galaxy S24 lineup. It's fantastic, but not everyone can afford the latest and greatest flagship. Thankfully, Samsung also makes budget-friendly alternatives, and that’s the appeal of the new Galaxy A55.

Read more