FSS helps disoriented private pilot

[JimNtexas]

Interesting audio of a guy really losing his cool:

http://www.naats.org/docs/flightassist.mp3

 

[TEXAN AVIATOR]

The value of an IFR rating is proven. Not quite sure I understand why when he encountered the clouds, he didn’t do a 180.

 

[Typhoon1244]

I know somebody is going to flame me for this...this guy's initial calls to Flight Service are the funniest thing I've heard in weeks! I fully realize that there's no telling how any of us will respond to real, true, gutteral fear, but I like to believe that when it's my turn, I'll do a little better than getting on the radio and screaming "I'm gonna crash...help! Help! Help!"

Now time goes very fast when you're lost and out of control, and it must have taken a pretty good chunk of it for this guy to switch over to 122.2 (or whatever) and yell for help. The old aphorism "don't drop the airplane to fly the microphone" obviously wasn't a big part of his training.

The lesson here is two-fold: (1) the people manning are F.S.S.'s are first-rate and deserve more credit than they get, and (2) flying the airplane is still job #1 in any emergency.

 

[dmspilot00]

Holy crap. I wouldn't say it's the funniest thing I've heard in weeks, but the scariest!

 

[52Vincent]

This is one lesson he will never forget,and hopefully he will start working on his Instrument rating.

 

[JeffSKDTW]

That was incredible and a real eye opener!

Not to mention that I didn't realize your conversation with the FSS briefer is recorded.

 

[SpiderMan]

You mean you dont record your conversation every time you talk with the feds too?

 

[ShawnC]

Those FSS guys really earned their keep on this one.

Teaches you something, the IFR is invaluable.

 

[dmspilot00]

I think most of you are missing the point. Getting an IFR rating does not prevent an unstable person from having panic attacks!

 

[Typhoon1244]

Holy crap. I wouldn't say it's the funniest thing I've heard in weeks, but the scariest!

It wouldn't have been funny if I didn't already know the guy survived.

 

[dmspilot00]

I meant scary from the standpoint that it's scary this guy is a pilot. How would you have liked your grandma to be in the back seat while this guy was flying, even in solid VFR?!

 

[jergar999]

I guess we both on Landings.com at the same time, I was about to post that also. But since you beat me to it, I will add that the aircraft was a 1986 model, and registered in Wisconsin.

 

[AV1ATRX]

I would have guessed he was from Wisconsin from his crazy accent! And people say we (from the south) talk funny

That was sobering, and something that students should hear, just to scare them out of ever flying into IMC without an instrument rating. I got goosebumps listening...

 

[surfnole]

ATC did me a huge favor one day by directing me through a series of building thunderstorms and informing me that I would be through them in 10 miles. In reality, I might not have been in a lot of danger, but I was seriously looking on the ground for a place to land in case it started closing in more.

At one point I asked to divert to airport X about 15 miles east. It looked clear to me, but he informed me they had just reported a tornado. Then I turned around to look behind me, and saw that the gap I shot was solid black.

Finally I had one tstorm in front of me to get around and he handed me over to the next controller. The new controler informed me Cessna 12345, thunderstorm ahead, one mile.

I was like yeah, its filling my windshield. I got around that and it was a perfectly sunny day again.

I checked out the Nexrad loop after I landed, and the whole area was red and orange 15 minutes after I passed through.

This might not seem like a big deal to many of you guys or my IFR instructor who routinely circumnavigated these things, but I won't ever forget that controller. I tried to send an email thanks to the center, but their email address didn't work.

 

[Lucky]

though its not near as intense as the guy above, here is a great link with a lost pilot... you can hear ATC's frustration.

http://www.cyberair.com/tower/trans/displt.html

having never been there ,,, is Dupage that rough of an airport to get into or was this guy just an idiot?

 

[maverick_fp00]

anybody know any sites where you can download ATC recordings for general aviation... not from airliner crashes, I've heard all of those.

 

[saabcaptain]

Lucky,

Intresting note about the cyberair.com file of the pilot going into DuPage KDPA airport...

The guy in the tape is a good friend of mine. The event occured one day after he got his private from a university flight school and obviously he messed up quite a bit. However he went on to become one of the best CFI's I have ever seen, and currently is a CRJ700 Captain for ASA. Just goes to show everyone has a bad day, some just get "lucky" and have it posted for life on a webpage for everyone else to enjoy but hopefully also learn from.

 

[FL000]

I used to have an ATC recording of a 210 (I think) in Colorado (I think) that iced up and spun. It was disturbing to listen to so I erased it. If I can find it again I'll post it for those interested in the more macabre.

 

[mattfish42]

I know him!

I didn't listen to the recording until I read the posts about his crazy accent and the plane being a 172 from a flying club in Wisconsin. No.... can't be.... But it's him!
The guy was a fairly low time private pilot at the time. He admitted that when he checked the weather that morning it looked very marginal, but he'd gotten away with flying in marginal VFR before, right? When the clouds lowered on him, he tried the 180 degree turn, no luck; descended a couple thousand feet, no luck, climbed some, no luck. Said not sure exactly what happened, but was thinking about calling for help when the stall warning horn went off, the plane tumbled, he saw his bags on the ceiling. Couldn't figure out which direction the plane was spinning, tried to recover in one direction, no luck, tried the other direction, leveled out just in time to see the top of a radio tower flash by under the left wing.
Scary.
He said he was going to sign up for some instrument training here, but so far hasn't made good on the promise.
By the way, that accent has baffled me for a long time. I think it's his own personal accent, not related to any particular area.

 

[KickSave]

Mattfish, your post sheds some light on some questions a lot of us have had about this tape. I was wondering why he didn't make a 180... apparently he made one but it didn't work?

My real issue is, what lack of ADM lead this guy to be A) blowing off weather he wasn't qualified in, B) getting a WX brief from FSS while he was stuck in clouds he wasn't able to handle(how about ATC or 121.5?) and C) losing control so badly that he was upside down.

I have to wonder what this guy's training was like. As a private pilot, I was taught to aviate first, communicate last. Don't drop the plane to fly the mic, etc etc. I was also required to write down my own personal minimums - whether I stuck to them was my business, but I had no one to blame but myself if I didn't - my instructors made sure I knew the risks involved. I hope this guy gives up flying, if he's unable to get his IR, he doesn't appear to have the ADM skills to be a safe VFR pilot either.

 

[Lucky]

Lucky,

Intresting note about the cyberair.com file of the pilot going into DuPage KDPA airport...

The guy in the tape is a good friend of mine. The event occured one day after he got his private from a university flight school and obviously he messed up quite a bit. However he went on to become one of the best CFI's I have ever seen, and currently is a CRJ700 Captain for ASA. Just goes to show everyone has a bad day, some just get "lucky" and have it posted for life on a webpage for everyone else to enjoy but hopefully also learn from.

saabcaptain,
Thats wild that you know him and that he turned out to be so good. God knows I've made a couple blunders. I'm just happy they're not out there on the net for everyone else to "learn from" he he he.
I really did kinda feel bad for him.. Obviously he knew he was screwing up... but whats he supposed to do now that its happening. Ask for a "do-over?" He apologized a few times and got berated each time. I am getting my floatplane endorsment currently and my IP mentioned that he wont have his instructor making derogitory statments to the students when they mess up. " They know when they screw up... their not happy with themselves and dont need an instructor making it that much worse."
ATC did go a little overboard with your friend I think. It's good that we can all learn from it. And great to hear he's doing so good.

Cheers!

 

[Typhoon1244]

I was wondering why he didn't make a 180... apparently he made one but it didn't work?

I think he made a three-sixty and got the hell out of there.

 

[booker4]

Thats me

I realize that in making the decision to leave, I made a poor one. The link and tape are edited for content. I however do, take full responsibility for my actions. I have read the aviate, navigate, communicate on the threads. I did that. I called mayday when I knew I needed help. I did everything in my power to fly first. My training taught me how to fly, and react, but there is no training in the world to show you how to react to this when it happens. I knew I was in trouble and started to pray when I saw a tower go past my left wing. I was going into a 180 turn when I was totally engulfed in the clouds. Poor decision making and lack and moderate weather experience almost ook my life. I also think this sounds funny now, but from a normally calm and laid back person, that sound of shear terror is very real. I truly thought my life was over. My family can not listen to that tape. Some may think that I am a poor pilot, and I very well may be, but at least I can think and reflect on that with others and speculate it. By the time I made the call, I had no time to regain my composure. I am sure that there will always be someone out there saying something negative about everything, and the only thing I can say to that is, if they ever end up in that position, listen to what other's are saying, read what is written, and learn. That really what I am trying to accomplish here. I hope someone else is able to listen to that audio, and learn. Thanks.

 

[Lucky]

I've talked to people I know about the thread. We all agree, although we'd all like to say we'd stay calm cool and collected, God knows how any of us would react in such a situation.

I was caught once in a T-storm at night that according to Jax Center didnt exist. I thought for sure I was gonna die that night. Jax lost me on radar and I was too low to communicate with them I was all be yelling in the radio when a Delta pilot picked up my radio traffic and relayed my calls to Jax. I remember his voice calming me down.

Best of luck to your future flying booker.

 

[Snakum]

D@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@MN!



I didn't hear ANYTHING funny on the tape.

Glad you're OK dude. I was hemmed up in clouds without warning once about one month after my PPL checkride, trying to get a 152 back to the FBO after being stuck all night. I'd never experienced the sights and sounds of actual IFR and was quite spooked for a while. In my case I was putting in four or five hours per week towards the IR back then and so when scattered became broken, and broken became, solid and the rain started hitting I just glued my face to the guages and wrapped a death-grip around the yoke. I like to think I'm macho, but I was scared. Without four pretty heavy weeks of IR training my outcome might have been different.

I'll bet everyone here has scared themselves a few times so don't sweat it. Your bag of experience is filling up, as they say.

(Though you did appear to take a rather hefty withdrawal from the 'Luck' bag.)

Minh

 

[Typhoon1244]

Booker4, I'm about to ask a question that is nosy and distasteful, and you are certainly within your rights to ignore it...but my curiosity is killing me: through an unfortunate mistake, you violated any number of FAR's in a very public way. Have the friendly folks from the FAA paid you a visit?

You truly got yourself in a terrifying situation. The key to surviving in aviation is using what you've learned to stay out of terrifying situations!

God forgive me, I found the tape humorous...it would not have been so if you'd never recovered from that spin or hit that tower.

Good luck. Fly safe.

 

[booker4]

FSS helps me

Yes, the FAA was in contact with me immediately after my landing at the airport.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: FSS helps me

(The following is a response I made to a P.M. from booker4.)

Look, don't be so hard on yourself. Don't quit. You've already had the worst moment of your career. It should all be...well, I was going to say "all downhill from here," but that has an unpleasant sound under the circumstances.

I may have poked fun at your reaction to an extreme situation, but I never called you a bad pilot. Why? Because you survived something that has put a lot of pilots with more time than you in the dirt. "John-John" Kennedy did exactly the same thing you did and killed himself and his bride-to-be.

I'll give you this advice, and you can take it for what it's worth: when someone confronts you with this incident, laugh about it. Joke about it. "Yeah, that sure wasn't one of my shining moments." Tell 'em it was okay because you had a pair of clean underwear in you flight bag.

...then point out to them that you did everything right after you f_cked up. You avoided hitting the ground, you admitted that you were in over your head (which not many people will do), and you got help.

Someday, when you're a 5,000-hour airline captain, you'll have a hellova story to tell your first-officers that'll show them that you're human too.

Again, good luck...and don't ever do that again!

 

[booker4]

FSS helps me

That puts a smile on my face. Advice is always welcome!Thanks Typhoon.

 

[Clearsky]

Booker4, I want to respond to let you know that I thought this thread, and listening to the tape, was valuable. Every pilot in training should be giving something like that to listen to and maybe it would save more lives. Don't feel too bad, afterall your alive, unlike a large number of other people who make the same mistake ever year that you made. When I was in the CAP about 10 years ago there was a pilot who got disoriented while flying at night. He called frantically for help on the radio. They later found him and his plane buried in the mud of a marsh. I have no idea how I would react in your situation. My first few hours in IFR training with an experienced instructor was scary enough never mind being by myself unintentionally in a cloud and with no IFR training, not to mention being in a spin. Don't feel embarrassed and good luck with your future flying.