Pilot reveals miraculous recovery following training flight crash
Given just days to live after a training crash, Tarek Mohamed shocked doctors by talking and raising his arm within weeks.
A young pilot who was given just three days to live after a training flight crashed in Victoria, has shared details of his miraculous recovery.
On October 5, Tarek Mohamed, 28, was taking part in a navigation exercise with Soar Aviation pilot Michael Hawthorne, 40, when the Aero Bristell was seen to enter a spin, and plunge to the ground near Stawell Airport.
Both men were badly hurt and Mr Mohamed’s condition was listed as critical.
He shared a confronting image of his injuries on social media, and revealed that doctors at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne told his family he was unlikely to survive.
“They also said if I was to talk I would be really bad, and I would probably never talk,” Mr Mohamed said.
“I was deemed the ‘living dead’ and a quadriplegic. Within three weeks, I woke up and shocked doctors by moving my right arm and talking fluently.”
Despite his initial progress, the keen athlete revealed the magnitude of his injuries, with rods and screws inserted in his back and face, and multiple fractures to mend.
A preliminary report released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau today, said there were no “pre-impact defects” identified with the flight controls or aircraft structure.
The report said the aircraft was found in an upright position with flaps retracted and elevator trim in a neutral position, in relatively flat and open farmland, 1.7 kilometres southeast of Stawell Airport.
Prior to the crash, the aircraft was seen by witnesses to conduct a 180 degree turn at about 1500 feet above ground level.
“Following the turn, the aircraft was observed to commence a number of manoeuvres before entering a spin,” said the report.
“The pilot was unable to recover control of the aircraft before it impacted terrain.”
As part of the ongoing investigation, the ATSB planned to interview the parties involved in the crash, analyse downloaded data from the Bristell, assess the aircraft’s flight performance characteristics and examine the pilot’s qualifications, experience and medical history.
Soar Aviation owner Neel Khokani yesterday confirmed Mr Hawthorne was flying the aircraft at the time of the crash, and had since been released from hospital.
Mr Mohamed is expected to remain hospitalised for some time, for treatment and rehabilitation.
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