Episode 91: Unexpected Spin

Episode 91: Unexpected Spin

Author: AOPA Air Safety Institute January 8, 2026 Duration: 28:02
Brad Cohen test flies his homebuilt Zenith Zodiac 601 XL. About 20 hours into testing, while working on departure and accelerated stalls, Brad enters an unexpected spin.

Imagine pulling up a chair in a virtual hangar, surrounded by pilots swapping their most gripping stories. That’s the feeling at the heart of "There I was..." An Aviation Podcast. Produced by the AOPA Air Safety Institute, each episode is a direct flight into real-world cockpit experiences, where seasoned aviators recount moments when weather, mechanics, or sheer chance threw them a curveball. You’ll hear the subtle tension in their voices as they describe navigating a sudden system failure or an unforecast storm, followed by the clear-headed decisions that led to a safe landing. This isn’t about sensationalism; it’s about the nuanced application of skill and training under pressure. The entire podcast is built on aviation’s rich tradition of “hangar flying”-that invaluable, informal passing of wisdom from one pilot to another. By listening, you gain access to a collective library of hard-won lessons, a resource that deepens your understanding of what it truly means to fly safely. Whether you’re a student pilot, a seasoned captain, or simply fascinated by the realities of flight, these narratives offer a profound and practical education, one compelling story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 94

"There I was..." An Aviation Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Episode 53: Ken Urban [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:39
After a November afternoon flight with his father in the Boston area, GA pilot Ken Urban has an unwelcome encounter with a deer on short final.
Episode 52: Derick Jones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:42
New Hampshire-based pilot Derick Jones was flying his Cessna 172 to Lawrence Municipal Airport in Massachusetts, in IMC conditions, when he experienced a complete electrical failure.
Episode 51: Devin Miller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:22
GA pilot Devin Miller, first featured on the podcast in 2019, joins us again to talk about a more recent incident – an engine failure while flying a PA-34 Seneca III.
Episode 50: Cody Goodan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:16
Regional airline pilot Cody Goodan tells the story of an incident he experienced shortly after earning his private pilot’s license as a senior in high school. During a series of touch-and-go’s in a Cessna 172 carrying 3…
Episode 49: Michael Koury [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:36
Michael Koury tells the story of flying his Cherokee 160, VFR from Sun Valley Airport in Arizona to St. George Regional Airport in Utah. With only 15 miles remaining in his trip, Michael suddenly found himself in blizzar…
Episode 48: Paul Loewenstein and Larry Suter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:27
On a November afternoon, pilots Paul Loewenstein and Larry Suter, both members of the Northern California Soaring Association at Byron Airport, took off just a short time apart from each other in separate gliders. While…
Episode 47: Trevor Peterson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:13
During a training flight from Camarillo to John Wayne Airport in southern California, CFI Trevor Peterson and his student found themselves dealing with a rough running engine and loss of oil pressure in their 172.
Episode 46: Andrew Edgerton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:02
As part of the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s 2022 campaign to eliminate VFR into IMC accidents, this episode features a discussion with helicopter pilot Andrew Edgerton, who inadvertently found himself in instrument condit…
Episode 45: Drew Ryan and Potomac TRACON [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:10
GA pilot Drew Ryan, along with brothers Eric and David Lomascolo (both air traffic controllers from Potomac TRACON), join us to recount the story of Drew’s flight in a snowstorm while flying from Albany, NY, to Manassas,…
Episode 44: Brian Lenzmeier [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:59
Having purchased a Cirrus SR22 just a couple of days prior, pilot Brian Lenzmeier departed on a flight from Addison to Waco, TX with an instructor pilot on board. What followed was an engine and avionics failure that res…