dmccormack
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- May 11, 2007
- Messages
- 10,945
- Location
- Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- Display Name
Display name:
Dan Mc
I learned the hard way recently why we train in degraded modes.
Was going to fly right seat with an IR friend/student down to NC and I was going to fly it back. Well equipped Single with thorough annual completed a few weeks ago.
Arrived early, ceilings lowering quickly as lines of widely spread thunderstorms crawled through the area. We had XM and Stormscope on board, so we'd have updated info, even though I did a thorough weather brief, and figured we'd be in front of the line as long as we were airborne by 0600.
Preflight, load up, call call call for Clearance, finally get through. Release time 0620 -- ok.
Startup, taxi down, runup, everything good -- hmmmmm -- XM still shows "Waiting for data." Oh well. Stormscope shows lots of activity just to the south. We'll have to ask to deviate east once we contact Center.
We launch and within a minute are in IMC, and despite winds in the 20s, it's not too rough. Still, the left seater isn't doing a very good job keeping wings level. I point to the AI, we roll through level and then head the other way. Such is learning -- I'll only interfere if bank exceeds 15 degrees or so.
I try calling Cleveland center -- nothing. Hmmm.
Lots of bright lights on the Stormscope. We need to deviate soon. The closest strike is within 25 miles.
Try again. We're at 3500, were cleared to 5k, but should have contact by now. Hmmm...
"Let's try Pitt approach..."
Nothing.
Clarksburg Approach? Nothing.
I reach for the landing lights, switch them on then off. Ammeter needle goes back to center slowly.
Hmm....
We're in a 30 degree bank.
"Let's turn on the A/P while I figure out this comm problem..."
"OK..." Relief. Wings level.
Fiddle with radios, try different frequencies -- nothing. Not a peep. Very strange.
I look at the AI -- 30 degree bank!!
What??!
I switch off the A/P, grab the yoke, try to figure out why the A/P is freaking out, don't correct the bank, then hear the Voice in My Head -- "FLY THE AIRPLANE!"
Oh yeah... wings level, descent arrested, now where are we?
I switch off the transponder, secondary comms, all lights. Panel 430 is still working, so is handheld. "Set up Direct Connellsville in the handheld." My now co-pilot complies.
I dial in the Localizer 5 Approach into KVVS. We have no radio reception, but the overlay will provide enough guidance to get us down under this cloud. Terrain nearby reaches 3000 -- I'm at 3500. I climbed to 4000, then fly direct to the IAF.
The little airplane shows up on the magenta line. We're on battery power only and the handheld has the same approach setup. I do the full procedure turn, descending to the approach altitude, We're established, but not on any needle -- no signal.
All we have is the GPS "guidance."
So be it.
We break out at 2100 MSL -- a few hundred feet above Minimums. Thank you Lord for sight.
I fly a left downwind, "You want to land it?" "No, you take it."
I land a bit fast and long but smoothly in the gusty 20+ knot wind. I let him taxi back because I had enough.
once stopped, I hopped out and called ATC to cancel.
"Yeah, we were wondering what happened..."
Lessons learned?
Was going to fly right seat with an IR friend/student down to NC and I was going to fly it back. Well equipped Single with thorough annual completed a few weeks ago.
Arrived early, ceilings lowering quickly as lines of widely spread thunderstorms crawled through the area. We had XM and Stormscope on board, so we'd have updated info, even though I did a thorough weather brief, and figured we'd be in front of the line as long as we were airborne by 0600.
Preflight, load up, call call call for Clearance, finally get through. Release time 0620 -- ok.
Startup, taxi down, runup, everything good -- hmmmmm -- XM still shows "Waiting for data." Oh well. Stormscope shows lots of activity just to the south. We'll have to ask to deviate east once we contact Center.
We launch and within a minute are in IMC, and despite winds in the 20s, it's not too rough. Still, the left seater isn't doing a very good job keeping wings level. I point to the AI, we roll through level and then head the other way. Such is learning -- I'll only interfere if bank exceeds 15 degrees or so.
I try calling Cleveland center -- nothing. Hmmm.
Lots of bright lights on the Stormscope. We need to deviate soon. The closest strike is within 25 miles.
Try again. We're at 3500, were cleared to 5k, but should have contact by now. Hmmm...
"Let's try Pitt approach..."
Nothing.
Clarksburg Approach? Nothing.
I reach for the landing lights, switch them on then off. Ammeter needle goes back to center slowly.
Hmm....
We're in a 30 degree bank.
"Let's turn on the A/P while I figure out this comm problem..."
"OK..." Relief. Wings level.
Fiddle with radios, try different frequencies -- nothing. Not a peep. Very strange.
I look at the AI -- 30 degree bank!!
What??!
I switch off the A/P, grab the yoke, try to figure out why the A/P is freaking out, don't correct the bank, then hear the Voice in My Head -- "FLY THE AIRPLANE!"
Oh yeah... wings level, descent arrested, now where are we?
I switch off the transponder, secondary comms, all lights. Panel 430 is still working, so is handheld. "Set up Direct Connellsville in the handheld." My now co-pilot complies.
I dial in the Localizer 5 Approach into KVVS. We have no radio reception, but the overlay will provide enough guidance to get us down under this cloud. Terrain nearby reaches 3000 -- I'm at 3500. I climbed to 4000, then fly direct to the IAF.
The little airplane shows up on the magenta line. We're on battery power only and the handheld has the same approach setup. I do the full procedure turn, descending to the approach altitude, We're established, but not on any needle -- no signal.
All we have is the GPS "guidance."
So be it.
We break out at 2100 MSL -- a few hundred feet above Minimums. Thank you Lord for sight.
I fly a left downwind, "You want to land it?" "No, you take it."
I land a bit fast and long but smoothly in the gusty 20+ knot wind. I let him taxi back because I had enough.
once stopped, I hopped out and called ATC to cancel.
"Yeah, we were wondering what happened..."
Lessons learned?
- Make sure you can hear some transmissions before taking off into IMC. Sure, we were on a quiet little field early in the morning, but other ATIS would have been broadcast at that time (even if ours was OTS).
- The A/P cannot be relied on to reduce pilot load when there are system problems.
- A handheld GPS device with independent battery and approaches is a lifesaver.
- Practice emergencies. They don't happen when you expect them, and are more likely when you don't expect it.
- The time to panic is after you're on the ground, pushing the airplane back in.
- This stuff is for keeps.
)