Stupid Mistake. Back to basics.

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

May the force be with you
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
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First Officer 6PC
Technology bit me.
Flying into a new to me airport.

Departure hands me off to tower and tells me they are landing 13.
I was good to go, lined up and everything.

Then for whatever reason, I pull up the airport diagram on the big screen and switch to tower. I am 5 miles out cleared for 13.

Then I start looking at the diagram and Realize I am lined up for 31

I call the tower and confirm "You meant 31 right?"
He says no, 13

So I look at the diagram again and realize I am on final for 31 not 13 so I bank left and enter right down wind for 13

Mid field abeam the numbers, tower asks me where I am going.

At this moment I realized I had a plan and I changed it because of the stupid screen that is north up. I was coming from the north and reading it as heads up.

UGH!!! :mad2::mad2::mad2:

Fortunately, the tower was having a good time calling everyone maverick and goose and sort of goofing around so it was light hearted on paper but I got so ****ed at myself for questioning a plan I had already made that was solid and correct.

I land somewhat flustered and they have the place torn to shreds. rebuilding the airport and so nothing matches what is on my diagram on the stupid screen even though I checked the data and knew what was going on, I let that damned screen Eff me up.

I ended up at a dead end asking for a progressive taxi where i had to do a 180 and back track to find a turnoff.

Everything big picture-wise was fine but I let the "computers" override my original planning.

Technology is really great but it should be 2nd to what you already know and have planned. I am a little mad at myself for being a button pusher on this last flight and letting my misinterpretation of the computer override what I knew was correct.

Back to basics. Next handful of flights will be with my plan and the radio.
I am disappointed in myself for letting the plane control me this time.
 
Probably one of my biggest fears coming into a new airport. I always check the DG, compass, and heading on the GPS to make sure I've got things straight.
 
Important thing is you learned from it. We all have a bad day sometimes.

Do you typically set your heading bug (or HSI course) to runway heading? It's a low-tech method that helps.
 
dans2992 said:
Important thing is you learned from it. We all have a bad day sometimes.

Do you typically set your heading bug (or HSI course) to runway heading? It's a low-tech method that helps.
Click to expand...


Honestly, I had my HSI sync'd with my current heading which was correct.
Once I let that Avidyne image take over, I ignored everything else and started comparing the image on the screen to what I was seeing on the ground.

dumbazz mistake.

I am going to quit using that avidyne for awhile. I feel like it is making me make decisions on the fly which is not how I fly.
 
I love the extended runway center line function in ForeFlight. I typically don't have an issue orienting myself to which runway is which but it is a nice function to have.
 
Good on you. I had a small spate of flights where the iPad was used to fully plan, and relied on, nearly the whole way. Then I ditched it for my chart, flight plan, and airport diagrams. Not totally ditched I guess, but on less than 10% of the time. For me, if I plan my flights by paper, it seems like the plan just makes more sense mentally.
 
A bit embarrassing, but not world ending, live and learn. Next time things don't seem right, you'll recognize to check your screen orientation. Personally I dislike North Up due exactly to this type of confusion it can generate.
 
Use the heading up feature,rather than north up. Also if using foreflight you can put an approach on the screen ,it may help.
 
Use the OBS mode...

Dial in runway heading...

It will show you the extended approach end of the runway.

Problem solved.

Will enable you to find a runway in places where there are endless lights.
 
I coined a term...

"Mature Onset Dyslexia"

It happens. 13/31 and 2/20 seem the most troublesome, but even 9/27 can cause problems if you're tired, distracted - or just old.

One time I was told to expect a vector for an approach to 31. It didn't make sense, so I confirmed he meant 31 and the controller confirmed it. When the vectors still made no sense I asked again, and he said the vectors were for 13. I'm virtually certain the controller had suffered from Mature Onset Dyslexia. It happens.

My fallback is to glance at the DG/HSI - or in my Sky Arrow the vertical card compass - and mentally overlay the runway on it.

And for me, personally, staying "track up" or "heading up" helps, not to begin yet another debate on that issue.
 
frfly172 said:
Use the heading up feature,rather than north up. Also if using foreflight you can put an approach on the screen ,it may help.
Click to expand...

6PC has little/no instrument training so he may need some coaching on what an approach is and how to load it... but I agree it can be a good practice at unfamiliar airports...along with self-checking for a recto-cranial inversion...remember that when VFR, primary nav is looking out the window, checking landmarks and maintaining situational awareness. Maybe we get a little sloppy in the middle of a 3 or 4 hour cross-country but ya gotta tighten it up for approach and landing.
 
Been there, done that. Fly, live, and learn. Besides, it was father's day. You get a pass. ;)
 
SkyDog58 said:
I love the extended runway center line function in ForeFlight. I typically don't have an issue orienting myself to which runway is which but it is a nice function to have.
Click to expand...

Ditto, with Garmin Pilot Android. It makes orienting yourself to the correct runway a non-issue, and one less potential screw-up for us humans.
 
eman1200 said:
North up.
Click to expand...

Not sure if you're trolling, but since he said...

SixPapaCharlie said:
At this moment I realized I had a plan and I changed it because of the stupid screen that is north up. I was coming from the north and reading it as heads up.
Click to expand...

In this case, North Up was part of the problem. Or more accurately, not choosing a preferred view and sticking to it.
 
I've made the same mistakes without technology. Once I get flustered or in a rush its a snowball effect. At a different airport... tower tells me to report midfield right traffic downwind for 31 so I turn right for downwind 13.

Immediately realize my mistake, call tower and ask to do a 180. Do the 180, land, still in a rush and flustered from the stupid mistake. Tower tells me cleared for take off 31 at Alpha, I line up on 13 and hear "Make a 180 and cleared for take off 31".

All because I rushed, got flustered, got ahead of myself and started over thinking everything. This was at an airport I fly fairly regularly too. (runway numbers are made up because I cant remember the actual ones). I fly to new airports a lot lately and it hasnt been a problem, but get me in a rush and its all down hill.

I now force myself to stop. If I'm at a rush at the airport, I stop and take 5 minutes. In the air I do some quick scenic flying.
 
I have said many times, GPS with moving maps have made pilots lazy. Me included.

Brian, I had a similar issue coming to GPM. I was all turned around and just about landed at Arlington. When TWR finally got me sorted out, I landed and he felt obligated to give me progressive taxi...felt like a total dumb ass.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Technology bit me.
Flying into a new to me airport.

Departure hands me off to tower and tells me they are landing 13.
I was good to go, lined up and everything.

Then for whatever reason, I pull up the airport diagram on the big screen and switch to tower. I am 5 miles out cleared for 13.

Then I start looking at the diagram and Realize I am lined up for 31

I call the tower and confirm "You meant 31 right?"
He says no, 13

So I look at the diagram again and realize I am on final for 31 not 13 so I bank left and enter right down wind for 13

Mid field abeam the numbers, tower asks me where I am going.

At this moment I realized I had a plan and I changed it because of the stupid screen that is north up. I was coming from the north and reading it as heads up.

UGH!!! :mad2::mad2::mad2:

Fortunately, the tower was having a good time calling everyone maverick and goose and sort of goofing around so it was light hearted on paper but I got so ****ed at myself for questioning a plan I had already made that was solid and correct.

I land somewhat flustered and they have the place torn to shreds. rebuilding the airport and so nothing matches what is on my diagram on the stupid screen even though I checked the data and knew what was going on, I let that damned screen Eff me up.

I ended up at a dead end asking for a progressive taxi where i had to do a 180 and back track to find a turnoff.

Everything big picture-wise was fine but I let the "computers" override my original planning.

Technology is really great but it should be 2nd to what you already know and have planned. I am a little mad at myself for being a button pusher on this last flight and letting my misinterpretation of the computer override what I knew was correct.

Back to basics. Next handful of flights will be with my plan and the radio.
I am disappointed in myself for letting the plane control me this time.
Click to expand...

If you were lined up for 31, I presume you were southeast of the field. Did the controller give you instructions to enter a left or right downwind to 13? Seems like that would have made more sense.
 
It happens. Once last fall, at the end of a long week, I made a fuel run over to Caledonia County which has one paved runway, a 02/20. The wind was nearly calm but weakly favored 02. I was coming from the southwest and announced a crosswind entry for 02. A voice from the ground asked whether I was using 02 or 20. It didn't register. I announced and turned downwind for what I thought was 02. Glanced at my HSI and it read, I thought, correctly. That voice again. This time it clicked that my heading was 020 which was downwind for 20, not 02. Immediately announced that I was upwind for 02, flew past the departure end of the runway, turned crosswind, then flew a normal pattern and landed. Saw the guy on the ground who helped me out and thanked him.

After that I wondered whether I'd just experienced the first signs of Alzheimer's or was just suffering from a bad case of cranio-rectal inversion. It wasn't dyslexia, 02 vs 20, it could have happened on any runway. I was, at least temporarily, perfectly okay with thinking you fly runway heading on downwind and even checking the HSI didn't shake me back to reality.

Like I said, it was the end of a long week. I was probably too tired to be flying, but I just had to get fueled up for the day trip I was planning for Saturday. Didn't want to buy that overpriced fuel from the robber baron at home base, you know.
 
Just tell tower that you're a doctor or a lawyer. With the cirrus they will belive you. And if they believe you then they will understand your confusion.
 
Brad Z said:
If you were lined up for 31, I presume you were southeast of the field. Did the controller give you instructions to enter a left or right downwind to 13? Seems like that would have made more sense.
Click to expand...
I think what he was saying is that he was lined up with 13 all along, but when he started looking at the airport diagram (north up) he became confused and thought he was lined up with 31.

I assume the airport diagram was called up on the glass panel display?

I don't usually have the airport diagram called up while approaching the airport. I'll look at it briefly during the arrival to develop my plan for getting from the runway to the ramp and verify freqs, but wait until I'm on the ground to switch, which JeppFD does for me once I slow to taxi speed.
 
Last edited:
azure said:
It wasn't dyslexia, 02 vs 20, it could have happened on any runway.
Click to expand...

I mentioned 13/31 and 2/20 as prime candidates for Mature Onset Dyslexia.

But under zero stress and with no contributory causes I can recall, I once began to taxi to 27 when cleared to taxi to 9 (or vice versa) at N Perry.

Inbound from the Bahamas, I once told Miami Approach I was x miles west. Oops.

Somehow, it's just not that hard to get turned around from time to time.
 
I admit to being prone to getting turned around pretty easily, and I'm always paranoid about setting up for the wrong runway. Knowing this deficiency, I consider the extended centerlines in Garmin Pilot (or whatever poison you pick) to be indispensible in helping to keep me oriented.

I can orient myself without that tool, but having it really increases my confidence around unfamiliar airports.
 
azure said:
After that I wondered whether I'd just experienced the first signs of Alzheimer's or was just suffering from a bad case of cranio-rectal inversion.
Click to expand...

I would agree with the Alzheimer's, Lucy. I hear that remembering names is one of the first things to go. Sure glad I don't have that problem!!!!!!
 
Kelvin said:
Use the OBS mode...

Dial in runway heading...

It will show you the extended approach end of the runway.

Problem solved.

Will enable you to find a runway in places where there are endless lights.
Click to expand...
:yes:
 
Yes I was lined up straight in for 13.
I pulled it up on the Avidyne.

I am not too miffed about getting confused. I am miffed that I know 130 is heading south and somehow I quit using fundamental logic. A glance at the compass is all I would have needed to go "duh"
 
Fearless Tower said:
I think what he was saying is that he was lined up with 13 all along, but when he started looking at the airport diagram (north up) he became confused and thought he was lined up with 31.

I assume the airport diagram was called up on the glass panel display?

I don't usually have the airport diagram called up while approaching the airport. I'll look at it briefly during the arrival to develop my plan for getting from the runway to the ramp and verify freqs, but wait until I'm on the ground to switch, which JeppFD does for me once I slow to taxi speed.
Click to expand...


This. Since the airport diagrams are north up that can be confusing when landing south. I sometimes pull it up on short final to see the intersection turn offs but only when I am the non-flying pilot. I would never do it 5 miles out except to glance at it for a second.
 
Geez, I was watching DTO all day hoping to get up. When did you find a window (so you could screw up...:D)
 
even with all the technology I still keep a hand-drawn runway diagram on my knee and an arrow pointing to my planned direction of arrival...
 
But at least you didnt land on 31 with ice on your plane.
 
JCranford said:
Geez, I was watching DTO all day hoping to get up. When did you find a window (so you could screw up...:D)
Click to expand...

This was after the airshow on Saturday.
I was going to fly to KSEP yesterday but the weather was terrible.
 
Just use your DG to verify...

I know you know this, but situational awareness is absolutely key.
 
More proof that the track up guys...
 
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