Lights out on a night landing!

ScottK

ScottK

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ScottK
A couple weeks ago, I was doing my night cross country and had this happen on my landing. The lights were on as we approached and I completely forgot to recycle them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2uQN93KF28

As you'll see, all turned out well, but I definitely had a bit of an "oh s...t" moment for a couple seconds. Fortunately for me, the winds were straight down the runway so I just kept it flying for a few more seconds until the lights came back on.
 
When you don't like what you see (or don't see, for that matter) during landing, just close your eyes, everything will get better. Kidding aside, I do a couple of no landing lights, no runway lights landings every year, just because **** happens (and it did happen to me right when I thought everything was just peachy) and you need to be prepared. That stands true for no flaps landing practice also etc. You did well.
 
Two serious questions. Were you doing this without a landing light? And why didn't you go around?
 
Next time that happens - go around immediately - don't **** with it.
 
Looking back at it, i agree with you. The go around was the better move. At the time though, my first instinct was the lights. Had they not come on, yes, an already bad situation could've ended worse. Lesson learned on multiple counts.

As for the landing light, it shorted out during the trip. Not an issue really, as i had done quite a few landing light out landings during my last night flight. The issue here was forgetting to recycle the lights as i approached. They were already on when i got there and i just forgot.
 
And when the lights came on....the search for the seat cushion began!:eek:

On one of my pre-check ride flights for my instrument ticket I took off behind another aircraft and did not recycle the lights. I was soon on the roll and everything went black (I still had my landing light). I reminded myself to just fly the plane and was soon wheels up. Lesson learned ALWAYS reset the lights on final or prior to the take off roll.:yesnod:

Glad to see it worked out ok.
 
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I used to practice the lights out landings as well. Came in handy one night when the alternator crapped out in the plane I was flying. No radio, no lights, no runway lights, no flaps. And even though it was an overcast night, it was not as dark as it may have seemed had I been videoing it.
 
Looks like a go around would have been better, especially because you were 100+/- Agl? Really good situation to get on video for others to learn.
 
ScottK said:
A couple weeks ago, I was doing my night cross country and had this happen on my landing. The lights were on as we approached and I completely forgot to recycle them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2uQN93KF28
Click to expand...

Thanks for uploading the video and providing the link.

Mike5250 said:
Really good situation to get on video for others to learn.
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+1. While I think I would have handled the situation differently, I did send the video to all of my students and a handful of instructors I work with to learn from.
 
DeeG said:
I used to practice the lights out landings as well. Came in handy one night when the alternator crapped out in the plane I was flying. No radio, no lights, no runway lights, no flaps. And even though it was an overcast night, it was not as dark as it may have seemed had I been videoing it.
Click to expand...

Had an instructor back in the day, during the night phase, if there was enough moon light, who would take students to a runway that did not have lights.

Worked great on a full moon night, snow on the ground and the runway plowed. It was bright enough out to read a newspaper. You could see the tree line and fields, once the trees were cleared, he'd kill the wing tip Nav lights so the reflection off the snow would not give away the ground.
 
I just emailed my flight school to get night current, asking if I could reserve the plane next week for 3 putts around the pattern at night, alone.

Then I went flying yesterday and called the AWOS for current weather at Petaluma. It had a recording saying "until further notice all runway lights out of service".

So I called the flight school and asked if they knew. They said yes but pilots were still reserving - and flying - planes at night.

I thought, "why" and "is that even legal"????

I decided that even if it means I am no longer night current, I will wait until they fix the lights. They were a big problem for many months (stuck on low / dim) and I landed with them that way and apparently they went to fix it and blew the transformer.

Argh.


Kimberly
 
Good video. Stop up and have some supper at the restaurant in DuBois. If I remember right, Thursdays are steak nights. Where are you based at? If you're ever around BVI, give me a holler.
 
I've had this happen, but not quite that near landing and not on video.
 
Arbiter419 said:
Good video. Stop up and have some supper at the restaurant in DuBois. If I remember right, Thursdays are steak nights. Where are you based at? If you're ever around BVI, give me a holler.
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I'm flying out of KLBE.
 
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