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The news you’ve been waiting for

by Jonn Lilyea••554

If you haven’t heard, and even if you have heard, Daniel Bernath was killed in an airplane crash on January 22, 2018 in the afternoon. About 15 minutes after taking off from Page Field in Fort Myers, Florida, the tower received a Mayday call and Mr Bernath went down with his craft in the woods near a golf course in Bonita Springs, Florida. According to reports, the area was so overgrown, rescuers needed a bulldozer and machetes to reach the crash site.

Mr Bernath was the sole occupant of the airplane at the time.

The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and basically, I’m going to avoid commenting until that investigation has been completed. I ask that you do the same.

As you may be aware, Mr Bernath has accused us of sabotaging his aircraft in the past. Of course, that wasn’t true. No one I know would stoop to that level of stupidity. I wouldn’t know how to even begin to sabotage an airplane and the fact that I’m wheelchair-bound doesn’t make me stealthy enough to pull it off, if I did. I’m sure his accusations will be part of the investigation, though. For that reason, I will not comment publicly until the investigation has ended.

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554 thoughts on “The news you’ve been waiting for”

  3. I’d hoped that he would be around long enough to figure out what an asshat he’d been for the last 10 years. Given the news account that stated he was arguing with the control tower just before the crash, I’m guessing that he didn’t.

    Regardless, his children are now fatherless, and I have to feel badly for them.

    1. I’ve heard that at least one of his Daughters completely disowned him. I wonder if it was the one whose name he used to buy and register the first plane he wrecked?

      1. Sounds like one daughter still believes her father was a good man, a good father, and a good grandfather. SMH. . .

    1. He was the “leader” of that little band of nitwits. Whoever passed him on his check ride to be a private pilot must have been one of his drinking buddies.

    1. In the words of the late, great, Neptunus Lex, DAB has tied the world record for low altitude flight.

      Fair winds and following seas, Lex.

    2. I heard once that each and every flight is a battle against gravity which always ends in one way or another.

  7. Robert Heinlein wrote a book entitled, “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”

    I always liked that book and the lessons inside, but I would add it appears Karma and the Moon might have that in common.

  8. Wait, when did he get out of jail or the psych ward or wherever he was over Christmas?

    Seriously, I thought he was still in custody.

      1. Released on the 19th, crashes and burns on the 21st. That’s one straight up selfish, narcissistic SOB all the way to the end. Took no responsibility for his actions ever.

      1. Because regardless of how bad a father a man is, his children still have feelings for him. If nothing else, regret that he was not the father they wanted him to be, and now never can change to be.

          1. You just made a blanket statement.
            I guess you like living dangerously?

            FWIW, my statement is made after 30+ years of working with youth, some of whom had fathers who were convicts, or abusers, or just plain left them and their mother and followed their own little head somewhere.
            The children of such father in my experience have always had some kind of feeling for their father, if nothing else wishing that their father would love them like a father ought to.
            Even when they were glad that their sperm-donor was out of the picture, when he died, there were these regrets and longings left creating a pain and a grief for things that ought to have been.

            And the justification for your pontification is?

            1. I actually can identify with this sentiment. There’s a finality to the death of a parent when you realize that redemption and reconciliation will never happen. I wish his children peace tempered with the knowledge of what he did to people I know and love.

    1. The story that Jonn linked to stated that the next-of-kin were out of the country, which was the reason when it took so long to ID him.

      I’m guessing that there is more to this story…

  12. This may be the quickest NTSB investigation in the agency’s history–if they start by looking at how much gas was in the tank.

    1. My money says the fuel was in the tanks the hole time he was incarcerated, and full of moister.

    2. To echo Jonn, I will keep my thoughts/opinions about the nature/cause of the crash to myself until the NTSB does its job, which could be several months.

      That being said, I’ve got a pretty good idea of what I think happened.

      //EOM NOTHING FOLLOWS

        1. My vote is for “CIA faked his death so he could hunt American’s most wanted as a door gunner on the Zuma”

          1. SSG Kane has best theory yet and we should go with that.

            NTSB, FAA and a whole line of three lettered agencies will finish their inquiries, produce reports and then we can all say … told you so!

      2. I know what my first thought was and likely that was the reason.

        I also feel sorry for his children. The loss of a parent is always a tough transition. May their transition be smooth and I hope they remember the good times.

      1. The Title is:

        Daniel Alan Bernath – From Plane Crash to Plane Crash: The Dissecting of the Most Prolific and Unapologetic Valor Thief in World History

  16. At least he didn’t wreck with somebody’s dog duct taped to a seat in the plane.

    (OVER)

  18. “National Transportation Safety Board officials are investigating the crash and are in the “on-scene gathering phase,” said Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the agency.
    “We look at the human, the machine and the environment,” he said.
    Weiss said the agency generates a preliminary report within seven to 10 days and usually completes its investigation, which will include a probable cause, in between 12 and 24 months.”

    So it may be two years before we know for sure what happened, although they’ll give us a rough guess in a week to a week-and-a-half.

  19. You can hear his voice on this news clip before he went down:

    https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/audio-before-plane-crash-shows-pilot-s-ignorance

    And this article discussed his previous plane crash as well as his disbarrment from CA:

    https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/victim-of-fatal-bonita-springs-plane-crash-identified

    He was flying a Vans RV12. According to this, the plane was an “experimental aircraft.”

    http://www.nbc-2.com/story/37333417/investigators-plane-that-crashed-in-bonita-springs-was-an-experimental-aircraft

    If you click on the link in this article, you can see the information on the plane:

    http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2018/01/fatal-accident-occurred-january-22-2018.html

    http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N262WS

    2. As a former pilot, it sounds like this poor guy had no business being at the controls? He failed to understand and respond to basic commands and instructions? How long has this idiot supposedly been a pilot? I learned this in my first 10 hours of flight instructions? It is a miracle this bone head didn’t kill innocent people on the ground??

      2. He’s on record, bragging about his piloting skills and using a 99 cent iPad app to display his speed while landing. Everyone in the pilot forums tried to tell him how stupid he was. I wonder if he used his iPad right up until the very end… Stall speed, don’t ya know.

        1. I dunno, seems he left a fairly prominent skid-mark that would suggest much better than stall speed for a craft that size.

      4. I also was formerly a private pilot with an instrument rating. Since he was only licensed as a Sport Pilot, he could only fly Light Sport type aircraft. The requirements for the light sport license are substantially less that for a regular private pilot license, which requires over 40 hours of flight instruction time in the aircraft and a lengthy ground school. It is obvious from the transcript of his conversation with the air traffic controller he was not skilled at proper radio procedure. The fact that ATC had to repeat instructions to him over four times is telling. He was told to maintain 2,500 ft. altitude and a heading of 170 degrees and to stay “clear of clouds.” Therefore, he was being vectored to clear other aircraft or back to the airport. The “clear of clouds” direction means he was flying during overcast conditions. The aircraft he was flying was a light sport RV-12, a single engine two seater with a 100 hp Rotax motor. He likely ran out of fuel again or did something else stupid. Fortunately, no dogs or human passengers died with him.

        1. Did something stupid, most likely.

          The RV-12 is so airworthy that it has to be almost forced to land.

        2. LOL… would have been a shame to loose a dog or any one on the ground.

          He like to repeat his behavior I guess, as he has done the same/same in the past. He also like to try and sue the plane manufacturers. Last thing he was going after concerned the prop on his RV12. I would like to submit speculation on the incident but agree with Jonn, et al, best left to the experts and their findings.

  21. That didn’t take long. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was attempting to stage another incident with which to launch new allegations. He’d be just like that.

      1. “For that reason, I will not comment publicly until the investigation has ended.”

        “…usually completes its investigation, which will include a probable cause, in between 12 and 24 months.”

  24. I have to admit, my first thought was that he had committed suicide by airplane after just getting out of the klink.

    My condolences to his family for having to deal with such an individual for so long.

    1. That was my first thought as well, especially when his next of kin just happened to be out of the country. But, let’s let the NTSB do their thing.

    2. Given the ATC conversation on the radio, I think suicide is unlikely. Incompetence is more likely.

  25. I have to believe that Senior Chief and Mrs. Shipley are two of the most relieved people on Earth today.

    God knows they needed that weight off their shoulders.

  26. Well, since someone already said “Wow”, I’m going to go with….

    “Uh, I’m kinda speechless”
    That’s a first.
    Sad.

  32. And so, the greatest tale of stolen valor TAH has ever seen comes to a rather unsurprising end. The very first post- a small tale about a fake CPO- would have, in the greater world of stolen valor SEALs, Special Forces, and false tales of combat and medals for valor- quickly been forgotten. But the rantings and ravings of a man whose cheese began to slide off of his cracker, the numerous sock puppets, the ridiculous litigation, attempts at defamation, taking on the great Don Shipley himself, and not to mention aspecialdayguide- all of it only made Bernath more infamous among TAH and the stolen valor community as he rose through the ranks to heights unprecedented among his peers.

    His formation/alliance of the Dutch Rudder Gang, his resolute determination on spiraling further into infamy and insanity, and the transition of Daniel Bernath from plaintiff to defendant cemented his status as that of a legend. And a legend he is, from a certain perspective; no stolen valor individual, I would argue, has reached Bernathian-level heights of absurdity, lunacy, and madness.

    TAH used to hold an annual “Ballduster McSoulpatch Stolen Valor Tournament”, an event that so many looked forward to every year as we voted on our favorite valor thieves and placed our bets on who would take home the gold. I believe Bernath was the last to win, and he won so hard we never held another tournament- we simply didn’t need to. He was the tournament winner emeritus. The ultimate SV thief. Unbeatable. The GOAT.

    He will go down in the annals of TAH history as one of the great epics of stolen valor thievery. He may be gone from this world, but his rambling, incoherent, delusional legend will live in infamy forever.

    Requiescat in Inferno. Amen.

    3. condolences to the family. however much a nut he may have been, he still left some behind.

      create and retire a special category for him, and the tournament continues after the appropriate moments of silence.

      bout that much oughta do it.

        1. I second that motion. Perhaps reword it so it’s not obvious to a casual reader but everyone in the know should know i’s after him.

    5. One thing is for sure and it’s that cornfields are much easier on a small airplane than pine trees are.

          1. Do you don’t, Buddy.

            Check this out, 2018 Pay Scale:

            E-7 over 20 base pay: $4,676.10

            O-1 over 20 base pay: $3,910.20

            No need to lose close to $350.00 a month in retired pay. Stay with the enlisted side of the house./smile

      2. SSG Kane:

        NOK means Next of Kin.

        It does get confusing at times, especially with North Korea being in the limelight in the past couple of months.

  37. I wonder if he had a stroke or a TIA. I was a CFII for years and rarely observed the level of disorientation exhibited in those communications.

    The initial investigation report will describe whether he had had a BFR (biennenial flight review) and current medical certificate. A pilot license is only valid when accompanied by a current medical certificate.

    For the distance he had planned to fly, climbing to 8,000 feet would have been a waste of time and fuel.

    The controller assigned a heading of 170 degrees, presumably to return the pilot to the airport from which he departed. Accordingly, he may have been on a heading of 340 degrees in which case his altitude should have been an even number plus or minus 500 feet, i.e., 2,500, 4,500, 6,500, etc.

    An autopsy report will likely tell the tale, there could have been some indications adult onset dementia. Just look the courts response to the various gibberish entered as claims.

      1. They say it’s dog-eat-dog, out there.

        Sure hope the lawyer in Chesapeake was working from retainer.

      1. His incoherent ramblings on that transmission sound more like someone who is clueless, not experiencing a stroke. He is speaking quite clearly, but he obviously has no clue as to proper protocols for communicating with ATC.

      2. You’re correct, I don’t think Sport License requires a medical. For some reason I had it in my memory that eventually upgraded to a Private Pilot rating. After just checking, the database shows him having a Sport Pilot rating.

  39. I was honestly expecting a report of a conviction or a long stay in the grey bar hotel. After reading the short transcript, I guess this was like the old senile person getting confused at a intersection.

    2. I felt great sorrow at the loss of John Sheppard. Not so much for Bernath. He helped make John’s life miserable.

    3. Thank You, MCPO, for keeping your promise and acknowledging/reminding us about John Sheppard (Rest in Peace).

      Salute.

    4. I had the honor to speak to him on a few occasions via phone. He lived about 20 minutes away and we were making plans to have a Mongolian Beef Lunch some time, unfortunately he was going downhill at the time and I couldn’t get around well either, so it never panned out.

  41. Been thinking over the last few hours… forgive me if this gets a little long winded.

    DAB’s death won’t stop the harassment that Jonn, TSO, Scotty and others here at TAH and other Stolen Valor websites have faced over the years. Someone will take and step up to play the games that DAB and the other members of the DRG have. DAB’s death doesn’t end the issue – someone will step in and try to replace him.

    If you have the time and cash, consider making a contribution to Jonn to help keep TAH going – or to any other website that ID’s individuals that engage Stolen Valor. I have tried to make it a habit of giving to help keep this site going, and hopefully helping Jonn out with any legal costs. Any little bit help him (and others) out.

    Thanks…

    2. You’re right.

      It’s just a matter of time until Y0uKnOwWhoSluRp3Th41 shows up again.

  42. I commented on the Admin post that I was in the dark about what it was about, so now I just saw the new post on the crash which was posted and I am not in the dark any more. I do not get IPN texts from Florida’s west coast unless it is something major.

  43. I’m absolutely shocked and saddened by this loss. The Vans RV-12 is a damn fine home-built airplane (hence the “experimental” status). I hope to build one myself one day.

    It will be missed.

    1. It’s a plane that loves the air and hates to land. It has to be forced to return to the earth. Damned shame.

  45. Kind of lost for words. But it is over as far as he is concerned. I just can’t imagine him having a current FAA medical cert showing him fit for flight. Thank God no one else was killed.

  48. Your comment as well as Graybeard’s reminded me of a great, but sad song “The Living Years” by Mike & The Mechanics.

  50. DB (Douche Bag ?) was a total waste.

    Maybe he was trying to navigate a back azimuth off his ankle monitor ?

    Hope he lived for awhile trapped in the wreckage and the gators had some lunch.

    Good riddance.

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