IFR lost comms and alternate airport

[Fly_Chick]

Situation, IFR - lose communications, fly to destination and cannot get below minimums. What would you do?

Do you fly to your alternate after executing the missed approach?

When do you start the leave the hold on the missed to fly to the alternate?

Which route do you take to your alternate?

 

[Spinplate]

After Missed/Hold. Obtain MEA altitude and fly airway to alternate. If holding on DME off of a VOR, fly direct to nearest VOR, then on course to alternate.

 

[Huggyu2]

Lost comm, right? So you have no clue how good or bad the WX is at the alternate, right? After going missed at the destination, look at your fuel. Chances are, you don't have a whole lot. So how about considering squawking 7700 are proceeding on to your alternate? Unless I'm in an aircraft with bunch of fuel, I don't see myself holding (i.e. burning more fuel) before heading off to an alternate with unknown WX. What happens if I can't get into the alternate? That holding gas might come in handy.
Depends on the situation, but depending on the WX and your remaining fuel, it's an option.

 

[phantomdriver]

huggyu2 lost comm is 7600 not 7700

 

[Spinplate]

Situation, IFR - lose communications, fly to destination and cannot get below minimums. What would you do?

Do you fly to your alternate after executing the missed approach?

When do you start the leave the hold on the missed to fly to the alternate?

Which route do you take to your alternate?

There is no specific time you need to depart the Missed approach hold to start on to your alternate unless you have minimum fuel....dont waste time. There is also no specific route you filed when filing an alternate. Basically, just find closest airway that will send you on your way to your alternate. Just make sure your altitude complies with MSA, MEA, etc.

 

[CougarAviator]

How about proceeded to nearest VFR should should have been ascertained in the preflight WX briefing.....

 

[rubicon789]

If you consider lost comm an emergency, which I do! Fly the ILS all the way to the ground. Remember under and emergency you can deviate as you see fit from any FAR. However if it is a non-prec. approach, then go on with the stuff mentioned before.

Think of it like this too; your flying a ME a/c and loss one engine. Weather at you place of intended landing is 600RVR, obviously way below Cat I mins and you are only 10 mile from the FAF. What do you do? Are you going to dick around with all this crap or are you going to get down. Just keep'em centered and fly the needles. If at night leave your landing lights off or you won't see the runway. You'll see the ground trust me. Just focus, relax, and land the plane.

My .02

 

[macfly]

What if you ate too much mexican last night and had too much coffee the am after? Throw in a bran muffin and you have yourself an emergency situation.

Hopefully you know where some better weather is and head that way. If you have no idea, find an unpopulated area and eject.

If you can't eject then try not to eat bran muffins.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Situation, IFR - lose communications, fly to destination and cannot get below minimums. What would you do?

Interestingly, you won't find any rules about what to do after going missed at your initial destination with lost comms. You are in a non-regulatory twilight zone. Assume you have not encountered visual weather along the way (since you'd be on the ground already, wouldn't you?)

So, assume that ATC at this point knows you are lost comm (they haven't talked to you in a while) and either has you on radar or has cleared the area in a non-radar environment. Do something sensible. If the last time you checked, your alternate really had better weather and you are almost guaranteed making it in, go there. Or go somewhere else that will get you out of everyone's hair and =safely= on the ground. Soon.

 

[GravityHater]

How about proceeded to nearest VFR should should have been ascertained in the preflight WX briefing.....

This works, if you have enough fuel. Many times I am beyond such a range.