[real world] triple diversion, single pilot IFR
Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 10:25 pm
I was debating whether to post this here since this is largely for PE related recordings. Based on feedback from a number of people in the training community, and in light of the fact that PE is so highly focused on pilot training, I've elected to relay the story and recording here, too.
Last Thursday, I took this trip from Russel County, KY (K24) up to Lincoln Park, NJ (N07). (note: the flight track on flightaware is strangely incomplete and has been truncated. It only shows the first approach and none of the vectoring that followed).
The forecast for the arrival was 1000 few and 2000 overcast, no biggie. I planned CDW as an alternate. The departure went well, save for a bit of weaving to get around some buildups.
Upon arrival, the weather was 400 and 1'ish, which was not what was in the brochure! I shot the LOC RWY 22 into CDW (mins are 357' AGL), but the weather was updated to 200 and 1/4 just as I was inside the FAF (I kid you not).
Morristown (MMU) was calling 200-1 so I opted to go there. The ILS was out of service, though, so the controller assigned the RNAV (GPS) Z RWY 23 approach. That plan didn't last long (I don't have WAAS and knew without looking that the LNAV MDA was going to be well above 200' AGL).
So, off to Teterboro I went.
Here's the MP3 recording of the ATC interactions from http://www.liveatc.net.
I was pretty much at capacity being SPIFR, in the soup, at night, without a trustworthy autopilot. When I say "in the soup", not only were the strobes off, but the position lights and landing light were bright enough to cause a distraction (that's a first for me). During the diversion to TEB, I'm trying to get the ATIS and am getting nowhere fast (much like I was during the arrival to CDW, except I had a bit more time there) because the radio is so busy. There's an interesting exchange about that in the recording.
I'm still trying to pull the plate in Foreflight when I get put onto a 130hdg for the ILS 19. I know the app clearance has to be coming soon, so I tell the controller I'm not ready and I get sent out west until I'm ready.
It's an interesting recording, and comments are welcome. There's not much I would do differently, other than be more proficient at pulling plates to unexpected fields in a pinch (I had pre-loaded N07 and CDW approach plates, but nothing beyond that). Ideally, I would also have requested the delay vector at TEB sooner than I did.
KTEB 270151Z 00000KT 3SM BR OVC006 13/11 A2960
KTEB 270251Z 23005KT 3SM BR OVC004 13/11 A2959
I landed somewhere in between those two. The 3 mile report was generous...that mist really does a number on you.
Edit: in hindsight, another thing that added to the workload was my inefficient panel configuration (can't use the HSI in the 6-pack for ILS/LOC/VOR approaches, it's talking to a Garmin 420 which is a GPS/COM. I have to use the NAV2 CDI WAY on the left side of the panel). The HSI precesses at close to the legal limit, so it needs to be sync'd with the compass quite frequently. That, and with a 30kt crosswind shearing to calm at the surface, the heading I'd needed to fly on the ILS changes constantly in any case. As a result, I use the TRK figure on the Garmin 420 to see what my effective course is, and compare that (numerically) to the DTK on the approach. Processing numbers is more work than processing pictures, that's for sure. I need to get a Garmin 430 instead of the 420, and I need to overhaul the HSI.
That, and this is the first time I've run into a case where WAAS would've gotten me out of a pickle. I would've had a shot at getting into MMU.
Last Thursday, I took this trip from Russel County, KY (K24) up to Lincoln Park, NJ (N07). (note: the flight track on flightaware is strangely incomplete and has been truncated. It only shows the first approach and none of the vectoring that followed).
The forecast for the arrival was 1000 few and 2000 overcast, no biggie. I planned CDW as an alternate. The departure went well, save for a bit of weaving to get around some buildups.
Upon arrival, the weather was 400 and 1'ish, which was not what was in the brochure! I shot the LOC RWY 22 into CDW (mins are 357' AGL), but the weather was updated to 200 and 1/4 just as I was inside the FAF (I kid you not).
Morristown (MMU) was calling 200-1 so I opted to go there. The ILS was out of service, though, so the controller assigned the RNAV (GPS) Z RWY 23 approach. That plan didn't last long (I don't have WAAS and knew without looking that the LNAV MDA was going to be well above 200' AGL).
So, off to Teterboro I went.
Here's the MP3 recording of the ATC interactions from http://www.liveatc.net.
I was pretty much at capacity being SPIFR, in the soup, at night, without a trustworthy autopilot. When I say "in the soup", not only were the strobes off, but the position lights and landing light were bright enough to cause a distraction (that's a first for me). During the diversion to TEB, I'm trying to get the ATIS and am getting nowhere fast (much like I was during the arrival to CDW, except I had a bit more time there) because the radio is so busy. There's an interesting exchange about that in the recording.
I'm still trying to pull the plate in Foreflight when I get put onto a 130hdg for the ILS 19. I know the app clearance has to be coming soon, so I tell the controller I'm not ready and I get sent out west until I'm ready.
It's an interesting recording, and comments are welcome. There's not much I would do differently, other than be more proficient at pulling plates to unexpected fields in a pinch (I had pre-loaded N07 and CDW approach plates, but nothing beyond that). Ideally, I would also have requested the delay vector at TEB sooner than I did.
KTEB 270151Z 00000KT 3SM BR OVC006 13/11 A2960
KTEB 270251Z 23005KT 3SM BR OVC004 13/11 A2959
I landed somewhere in between those two. The 3 mile report was generous...that mist really does a number on you.
Edit: in hindsight, another thing that added to the workload was my inefficient panel configuration (can't use the HSI in the 6-pack for ILS/LOC/VOR approaches, it's talking to a Garmin 420 which is a GPS/COM. I have to use the NAV2 CDI WAY on the left side of the panel). The HSI precesses at close to the legal limit, so it needs to be sync'd with the compass quite frequently. That, and with a 30kt crosswind shearing to calm at the surface, the heading I'd needed to fly on the ILS changes constantly in any case. As a result, I use the TRK figure on the Garmin 420 to see what my effective course is, and compare that (numerically) to the DTK on the approach. Processing numbers is more work than processing pictures, that's for sure. I need to get a Garmin 430 instead of the 420, and I need to overhaul the HSI.
That, and this is the first time I've run into a case where WAAS would've gotten me out of a pickle. I would've had a shot at getting into MMU.