Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas -- “It was a beautiful day with clear skies,” said 2nd Lt. Casey Mets, 86th Flying Training Squadron student pilot. “It was dry with no rain in sight.”
The pilot-in-training from Laughlin’s Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training program and his friends were ready to enjoy a well-deserved Saturday off after a week of rigorous academics.
“We had planned the ride earlier in the week,” said Mets. “We were going to do the same thing we had usually done – sleep in Saturday morning and go for a ride in the afternoon.”
Mets had only been riding a motorcycle for eight months at the time, but he was well aware of the importance of wearing the required personal protective equipment.
“Before riding I put on my helmet, jacket, pants, boots and gloves, and checked my bike out,” said Mets. “I always look at the bike to make sure nothing is wrong. I personally want to make sure everything is good to go before a ride.”
With everything checked out, Mets was ready to ride. He and his buddies were on a casual two-hour ride when things took a turn for the worst.
“We took a curve and on the other side there was a patch of gravel,” said Mets. “My front tire slipped out from under me and hit a drainage ditch, tossing me over the handlebars. I landed on my left shoulder and slid a bit. The damage was a shattered shoulder blade, fractured rotator cuff head and a fractured clavicle.”
One of the riders with him saw the accident and immediately stopped to help.
“I remember sitting there after the accident and everything seemed pretty surreal,” said Mets. “My friends called an ambulance and after they arrived and checked me out, they put me in the ambulance and drove me to Uvalde Memorial Hospital.”
The injuries put Mets out of pilot training for a few months while he healed, but he has his PPE to thank that he still has the opportunity to fly.
“It was really bad but it could’ve been worse,” said Mets. “I was wearing the right gear and that may have made the difference between a shattered shoulder and a shattered skull.”
Now that he is back to flying, Mets has made the decision to stay off a motorcycle at least until he is through with training, but reminds other riders to be safe.
“Wear a helmet, wear the gear,” said Mets. “Don’t be one of the guys you see without a helmet, because that’s just asking for trouble.”