Stupid Mistake

SixPapaCharlie

SixPapaCharlie

May the force be with you
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Ugh!!!!

was flying with a friend tonight. were up for a couple hours just going from airstrip to airstrip. No flight following (which is atypical) but whatever.

Lots of chatter so I turned my radio down because we were talking and the radio was busy.

Flew to a field and did 3 TnGs
4th one we are on base and I see a plane on final (straight in).

Guessing 1 mile apart. I saw him and we were on course for bad times.
Full throttle, climb, and I see him break off to his right.

GD!!! I never turned my radio back up.

Now, I know radios are not required and I had been broadcasting my positions but assumed I was alone in the pattern.

This was at the field I trained in and my first thought was "Oh God what if that is my CFI in that plane?"

So I just played it off. "So in so traffic, Radio check"
They responded and I said "I am having trouble with Com1. Com2 seems to be working"

They said "No worries, we were watching you"

Turning the radio down was dumb.
 
Radio not required. Sounds like you both did what you were supposed to, see and avoid.
 
Don't kick yourself too hard, I had the same thing happen to me way back when. Nobody was in the pattern though. Clicked one number too many into the radio and we took the silence to mean nobody else was in the pattern. Live and learn I guess.
 
Just a thought, since you don't use flight following in cruise, why not tune your radio to an unused frequency and keep the volume up. When you approach your destination airport, you definitely won't forget to tune the frequency because you will not forget to report your own position. This way it will not be necessary for you to turn the volume back up in the first place.
 
I came into the pattern one day and there were 3 planes, none of them talking on 128.00. ;) When I tuned in the radio to 122.80 they were talking up a storm about me being on the wrong freq. :redface:





Geico Tip Of The Day: Don't turn the radio down, turn it off. Then when you need it you will have to turn it on. :D
 
Geico266 said:
I came into the pattern one day and there were 3 planes, none of them talking on 128.00. ;) When I tuned in the radio to 122.80 they were talking up a storm about me being on the wrong freq. :redface:





Geico Tip Of The Day: Don't turn the radio down, turn it off. Then when you need it you will have to turn it on. :D
Click to expand...

haha!
 
What would have been wrong with, "Sorry, I had my volume turned down"?
 
It's happened to me more times than I can count. Some instances probably could have resulted in violations, but none ever did.

If you monitor 121.5 when not otherwise occupied, you soon find out that professional airline crews are not immune from this sort of screwup.

BTW, my ICOM radio has a "pull to defeat squelch" feature on the volume control. I think my Garmin 430's were similar. It's something I do quite often, any time things seem a little "too quiet". The "hiss" confirms both volume and headset functioning.
 
FastEddieB said:
BTW, my ICOM radio has a "pull to defeat squelch" feature on the volume control. I think my Garmin 430's were similar. It's something I do quite often, any time things seem a little "too quiet". The "hiss" confirms both volume and headset functioning.
Click to expand...

Good tip. This is part of my post start check list. Most if not all Garmin and Apollo radios do this.
 
Happened to me coming back into my class D. I was a solo student and was coming back after a training flight. It had been a very turbulent day and somewhere during the flight I had bumped the volume. I called tower to tell them I was10 out and got no response, I called again to tell them I was 8 out, then 6. I was about to start making 360s so I wouldn't bust the D space when I told myself, "Self, why don't we take a deep breath and figure this out." When I turned up the volume I finally got to hear the controller busily trying to reach me.
 
Same as Geico...Could not figure out why all of these crazy guys in the pattern were not talking on 122.8 while I entered downwind. I walk in the FBO and ask if they could hear me. "Our new freq last month changed to 122.7". Oops. Sorry.

I learned to check NOTAM's even on those local 20 min flights.
 
Based on the responses, I see it is neither a major deal or all that uncommon.

During my training CFI and I turned down the radio while on FF.
He goes "Man it's really quiet... Oh crud." Turns it back up and approach is saying "Are you ignoring me 6PC?"

I guess I am kicking myself because I got surprised in the air and it was my doing.

1. I turned the radio down
2. clearly I was not being as astute as I should have and I think it is because I made the assumption that the area was clear because it was so quiet.

Chalk it up to lesson learned, always assume there is someone in the pattern with out a radio and don't get complacent.
 
Geico266 said:
Geico Tip Of The Day: Don't turn the radio down, turn it off. Then when you need it you will have to turn it on. :D
Click to expand...

Depending on the type of radio you have, you may not notice that either.
 
This is why I very rarely if ever get upset at other pilots making mistakes. We have all made mistakes, some admit them. ;)
 
Geico266 said:
This is why I very rarely if ever get upset at other pilots making mistakes. We have all made mistakes, some admit them. ;)
Click to expand...
It is the other pilots fault for flying close when the OP didn't have his radio on.:D
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
..................................
So I just played it off. "So in so traffic, Radio check"
They responded and I said "I am having trouble with Com1. Com2 seems to be working"
Click to expand...
Do you think he swallowed that?
Happens to us all occasionally, don't worry about it. No explanation required, just fix it and go on. If you're gonna' say anything just tell the truth, like "had my volume turned down, sorry 'bout that" :redface:
 
My long solo XC, I tried calling Columbia Approach about 4 times with the squelch all the way down in order to transit the Charlie. Then, not hearing a reply, called to tower twice. When I finally realized the issue, I was outside of their airspace and they put me over to the next TRACON. Probably looked like an idiot, but whatever.
 
I was flying from KGTU to KGLS (basically Austin, TX to Galveston, TX) and picked up FF for the trip. It was my 2nd time to fly the route so I kinda had a sense when Austin approach was going to hand me off to Houston and then of course into the Bravo.

I totally forgot to call Austin approach and tell them I was going to jump off frequency for a second to call Flightwatch - I expected it to be a very short call and the guy at Flightwatch was super nice but very long winded and based on the last trip I figured I had a good while still before they'd hand me off.

I jump back on approach and hang out a sec...then look at my chart and realize I'm about 5 miles from the bravo. I call Austin and say, "...did I miss any comms? Approach says, "yeah, we've been trying to call you for several minutes now...Houston knows you're coming..." and handed me off. Oops. :rolleyes2:

I don't really turn my radio down so that hasn't been a problem - at least not turn it down where i can't hear it at all...but definitely something we'll do...and probably not once. :)
 
I had to get in a habit on leaving my fingers on the volume control, If I pull it away good chance I'll forget.
But we do have a rule that if you admit a mistake then you have to buy Breakfast.
 
tecprotb said:
I had to get in a habit on leaving my fingers on the volume control, If I pull it away good chance I'll forget.
But we do have a rule that if you admit a mistake then you have to buy Breakfast.
Click to expand...


In related news the next breakfast will be dollar menu at McDonalds
 
MachFly said:
Just a thought, since you don't use flight following in cruise, why not tune your radio to an unused frequency and keep the volume up. When you approach your destination airport, you definitely won't forget to tune the frequency because you will not forget to report your own position. This way it will not be necessary for you to turn the volume back up in the first place.
Click to expand...

This, and...

Jaybird180 said:
121.5 anybody?
Click to expand...

This. You should be monitoring 121.5 anyway... I always tune that in rather than turning a radio down/off. And I've heard enough others get their asses saved by being on that frequency that it keeps me doing it.
 
When we lose communications with an aircraft, we use guard to try to re-establish communications. For the heavy haulers it works 9/10 times. For the corporate or heavier GA, about 6/10 times. For small GA, it's a crap shoot. :)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I did the same thing flying with another CFI after getting my PPL. He turned down the radio… I saw him do it. Then 15 minutes later I call up to close our flight plan since I have the airport in sight. They seemed to be ignoring me. ;)

I figured it out when Approach control ignored me too. :D
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
How does monitoring 121.5 help
Click to expand...

It helps if you hear an ELT that maybe nobody else hears.

It helps you know that YOUR ELT didn't go off when you landed.

If helps if you only have seconds to grab the mike and tell where you figure the crash site will be, because you're already on the right frequency.
 
I try to monitor 121.5 on my SL-40 Com2 and have reported three ELT's that ATC did not hear. All three since 2012. Don't know what turned up, but you never know. Also relayed some radio calls.
 
FastEddieB said:
BTW, my ICOM radio has a "pull to defeat squelch" feature on the volume control. I think my Garmin 430's were similar. It's something I do quite often, any time things seem a little "too quiet". The "hiss" confirms both volume and headset functioning.
Click to expand...

A good tip.
 
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