Whoops! -NASA ASRS report

Swampfox201

Swampfox201

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Todd W.
For you student pilots out there who had a bad flight just know everyone makes mistakes.


■ On the takeoff roll, after calling out, “Thrust set,” I scanned the EICAS engine indications, and then I fixated on the altimeter, confusing it with the airspeed indicator. When the numbers on the altimeter dial did not increase during the takeoff roll, I mistakenly believed it was a stuck airspeed indication and called for an aborted takeoff. The Captain aborted the takeoff and we taxied to a location where we could talk to maintenance. As I was explaining to the Captain what I had seen, I realized my mistake. I had confused the Altimeter indication with the Airspeed. There were no problems with the aircraft and we completed the flight safely.



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Probably one of those pitch controls airspeed, power controls altitude guys :)
 
FastEddieB said:
More gems here:

http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/docs/cb/cb_432.pdf

Amazing how error-prone cognitive processes can be, even with highly experienced pilots.

Looks like checklists can help, but never completely avoid, this kind of "brain fart".
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Checklist and repetition, but there is always something that can happen. I've always wondered how you can guard against doing that one really stupid thing even though you've done it right a thousand times before. It is one of the things that keeps me humble in flying. The right distraction at the right time can throw anybody off.
 
I like the guys who didn't realize they forgot to retract the gear.
At least that's not as bad as forgetting to extend it.
 
Also discussed here:

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89453

My favorite is the commercial pilot who pulled both fire handles in flight. For those of you that don't know, pulling the fire handle basically disconnects everything from the engine; fuel, hydraulic, electric, and arms the fire bottle so he was a bit surprised when he noticed a loss of performance in the aircraft :goofy:

"As I pulled them I noticed a sudden loss of performance on both engines."

Quite observant of him, wouldn't you say? :mad2:
 
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DC-9 electrician wired the annunciator panel lights to the landing gear handle by mistake. When they raised the gear everything in the cockpit went red, a little pilot pucker factor.
 
LOL Great thread. Keep 'em coming!
(not that I've never made a bone-headed mistake but the beauty of aging lies in the ability to forget :D )
 
Definitely a bonehead move, but we all do it from time-to-time. One which comes to mind is when I mistook the prop gauge for the torque gauge. I advanced power and looked at the gauges, seeing the prop at 1,900rpm (normal), I thought that was my torque (max takeoff is 1,865ft/lbs). I began retarding the power lever, with no change in the torque. Sensing something was wrong as I had used nearly 3,000ft of runway, I aborted and went into beta. As the prop speed dropped, I immediately realized what happened. :redface: :mad2:
 
More common is to set the altimeter incorrectly to 29.79 instead of 27.93 or some such.
 
Swampfox201 said:
For you student pilots out there who had a bad flight just know everyone makes mistakes.


■ On the takeoff roll, after calling out, “Thrust set,” I scanned the EICAS engine indications, and then I fixated on the altimeter, confusing it with the airspeed indicator. When the numbers on the altimeter dial did not increase during the takeoff roll, I mistakenly believed it was a stuck airspeed indication and called for an aborted takeoff. The Captain aborted the takeoff and we taxied to a location where we could talk to maintenance. As I was explaining to the Captain what I had seen, I realized my mistake. I had confused the Altimeter indication with the Airspeed. There were no problems with the aircraft and we completed the flight safely.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Woops. Pax on board?

Long time ago I was a new co-pilot. During takeoff I accidentally touched a break pedal. The captain aborted thinking we blew a tire. After the abort, had to call mx.

Woops is right.
 
Dumb things? Sure.

Took off with carb heat on.
Forgot to raise flaps after takeoff.
Forgot to push the prop in before landing. Hard on the engine for touch and go.
Reported a VOR as inop to Center. Had tuned the wrong freq.
Had the wrong CTAF freq tuned, landing in the pattern on my Private check ride. Discovered it after the DPE signed me off.
Took off with landing trim, gotta REALLY hold the nose down.
Left the master on after parking a rental. Went to lunch. Plane started, flew home, FBO charged me Hobbs time for lunch.

Got better as time went on. Never did the same thing twice.
 
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Good examples, Mason. :)

Here's one of mine that I committed just recently. On an IR checkride, of all places!!! :eek:
- Turned down busy GND freq while setting up the airplane and talking to the DPE. Called GND to get taxi clearance. Nothing. Checked the radio and turned it back up. Heard "airplane calling ground that is unanswered, try again". LOL

We all make mistakes. What matters is how we handle them.

Which, forgive me, triggers another memory. Of how confessing a mistake can confuse a controller. :)
- Flew wife to San Antonio Int'l. Busy airport. When leaving (9pm), we were the only airplane on the ground, it felt deserted. Got taxi clearance: 12R via Yankee, Golf and Zulu. Easy peasy. (taxi PDF) Saw the G sign and turned left. Sh*t, now I am on Hotel. Called GND: "we accidentally turned onto Hotel instead of Golf, how would you like us to proceed?" and received a response that I could easily transcribe as "Huh???" The controller did not think it was a big deal and revised my taxi clearance "proceed on Hotel to Zulu" but it took him a while to comprehend that I made a mistake and admitted it. :)
Again, we were the only airplane on the ground so this did not cause any safety problems and I could have silently taxied back to Golf but didn't. Poor controller probably hasn't heard a pilot say before: "I made a mistake". :lol:
 
Oh boy...I've got a few too:

  • Setup for a short field takeoff, forgot to raise flaps, wondering why speed was only 80 knots about halfway home...
  • Mixture leaned, all the way to the ground from cruise (GUMPS fail)
  • I've done this one alot: Tower keeps me on their frequency a lot when I land and taxi to parking due to the fact that I do a lot of late night flights. In the morning I'll call tower thinking they are ground.
  • OR: I keep ATIS/approach on COM2, ground tower on COM 1. I'll tune in ATIS on Com 2, flop it back to approach and forget to switch back to COM 1 before calling for my clearance. More than once Approach has told me "Nice practice, wrong frequency..lol"
  • The Cherokee 180C start up procedure is on the left mag only, you switch to both after start. I've taxiied all the way to run up on one mag.
 
Mason said:
Dumb things? Sure.

Took off with carb heat on.
Forgot to raise flaps after takeoff.
Forgot to push the prop in before landing. Hard on the engine for touch and go.
Took off with landing trim, gotta REALLY hold the nose down.
Left the master on after parking a rental. Went to lunch. Plane started, flew home, FBO charged me Hobbs time for lunch.
Click to expand...

To be fair, there's one proximate cause for all of the above.

The solution?

9695_4.jpg
 
Anyone land while still on approach frequency? I've been there for that one. It was Boston Logan about 0530 in the morning. They got a kick out of it. Approach promptly cleared us to "taxi to parking" as a friendly dig.
 
Mason said:
Dumb things? Sure.
Left the master on after parking a rental. Went to lunch. Plane started, flew home, FBO charged me Hobbs time for lunch.
Click to expand...

Your plane designed by Google? I'd love to have a smart plane like that (though would hate to be left stranded, I guess). :D
 
One for me. Taxiing to the active at an unfamiliar airport. Ground, "Light Sport N1234, reverse immediately, you have entered the active runway." Whoops, the hold short line was not where I assumed it would be. Apologized to Ground and they were nice about it, "Yeah, that seems to be a common mistake." Still, I should have been more alert.
 
Had a crap nights sleep but figured I was okay. On takeoff I glanced at the fuel gauge and exclaimed "we don't have enough!" to the copilot. We needed 2800 lbs (full tanks) and it was showing only 2,000 lbs.

Copilot and good friend looked at me and said, "ah, that's the prop RPM. And besides, there's two of them so that'd be 4,000 lbs..."

I called fatigued when we landed.
 
Captain said:
Had a crap nights sleep but figured I was okay. On takeoff I glanced at the fuel gauge and exclaimed "we don't have enough!" to the copilot. We needed 2800 lbs (full tanks) and it was showing only 2,000 lbs.

Copilot and good friend looked at me and said, "ah, that's the prop RPM. And besides, there's two of them so that'd be 4,000 lbs..."

I called fatigued when we landed.
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Every checklist I've ever used has fuel verification on the before start checklist. :dunno:

Guess I've just never flown that fatigued.
 
RotorAndWing said:
Every checklist I've ever used has fuel verification on the before start checklist. :dunno:

Guess I've just never flown that fatigued.
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No, checklists were done and we had the gas. It was just my tired mind working through the haze. I admit I shouldn't have been there. I thought I could cowboy up and get 'er done. It was a learning experience.
 
RotorDude said:
Your plane designed by Google? I'd love to have a smart plane like that (though would hate to be left stranded, I guess). :D
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No, if that were the case, it would taxi back home at a slow walking pace and stop every time there was a squirrel within 100 yards. Ever seen one of those cars IRL? They drive like 10 year old student drivers.
 
MAKG1 said:
No, if that were the case, it would taxi back home at a slow walking pace and stop every time there was a squirrel within 100 yards. Ever seen one of those cars IRL? They drive like 10 year old student drivers.
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So we can expect them to become decent drivers in 10 years?
 
I've had a few like everyone else.

During one climb out, shortly after rotation, the Captain called for Speed, well I hit autopilot. Not one but twice! The captain actually made me sit on my left hand until cruise. The jumpseater was about to pass out from laughing.

Had a landing where I forgot how high I was and pulled it back to idle 100' off the deck. The FA came up and requested a neck brace the next time I flew. I went out and greeted EVERY passenger as they got off. I'll OWN that PILEDRIVER!!
 
ARFlyer said:
Had a landing where I forgot how high I was and pulled it back to idle 100' off the deck. The FA came up and requested a neck brace the next time I flew. I went out and greeted EVERY passenger as they got off. I'll OWN that PILEDRIVER!!
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Just say the runway was contaminated, needed to plant those tires ;)
 
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