Never again on PE - share your mistakes

[HenryR]

This story has enough "meat" on it that it deserves a structure, so I'll give it the full treatment:

Dedication: To the controller who put up with me throughout the entire flight, along with my profound apologies for putting him through it.

Prologue
I decided to make the jump from simple aircraft like the C182 Skylane and C337 SkyMaster, and try my hand at larger, more complex airplanes. I've read a lot about the PMDG 737NGX, but it looked like more of a quantum jump rather than a little jump. So, I tried out the FSX stock CRJ700. I flew it a few times offline just to get a feel for handling it and to get familiar with the autopilot and GPS. After I got the technical problems solved, I decided to start with something I'd done before, so I flight planned KLAS to KLAX, with the BOACH5 departure, HECTOR transition, RIIVR2 arrival, and RWY 24R ILS approach. I filed the flight plan, logged onto PE, got my clearances, took off and flew the route. It went smoothly until I was on the ILS approach and couldn't get the auto pilot to capture the GS, but I flew the approach by hand and landed safely. I then went offline and just flew a couple of traffic patterns, departing, flying east, then reversing and flying the 24R ILS approach, successfully using the AP to capture the GS and make the initial approach using the APPROACH mode. No problems, so I taxied back to gate 77, and decided to fly a longer flight-- KLAX to KSFO. And that's when the real trouble started.

Departure from KLAX
After filing my flight plan-- VTU5 Departure, RZS transition, BSR2 arrival-- I got my IFR clearance, taxied to RWY 25R, and headed for the wild blue yonder. I had the AP set for an initial altitude of 5,000 and the heading bug set for 250-degrees. After takeoff, I used the AP to climb to about 500 feet, then engaged the NAV mode to fly the departure procedure. For some reason, the plane pitched up like a fighter jet and rapidly gained altitude. I disengaged the AP, forced the nose down, and hand flew the plane to a position where I could rejoin the VTU5 departure, held my breath and re-engaged NAV mode... this time, the AP captured properly, and all went fairly normal for the next 30 minutes or so. The controller asked about my rapid climb and I admitted that I didn't know what happened, but after that departure, I was not looking forward to the approach at KSFO. He joked that he would give me a 30 mile final, and I quipped that 30 miles might not be enough. This turned out to be prophetic!

Arrival
While I was on the BSR2 arrival at 20,000 MSL, the controller instructed me to "cross Boulder at and maintain 10,000." I acknowledged, then glanced at the moving map (Aivlasoft) display, where I saw "Boulder" adjacent to a VOR symbol. I dialed in the frequency of the VOR, dialed in the course to take me to it, then switched from GPS mode to LOC mode. I mistakenly thought the controller had given me a deviation from the BSR2 arrival... I wish I had asked. I also wish I had done more than just glance at the map... if so, I might have realized that the controller was referring to "BOLDR" which is a FIX... not a VOR! In a few miles, he asked if I was off course, and I responded that I was proceeding direct to Boulder as instructed. He corrected my misunderstanding and assisted me in getting back on course, while I concentrated on wiping the egg off my face so I could see! I wish I could say that was the end of the story, but alas...

Approach to 28R
Approaching the San Francisco Bay around Menlo park, I was cleared for the visual approach to 28R. I had already programed in the localizer for 28R, so I used the NAV mode to intercept the RWY heading, while manually trying to slow the airplane, get the gear down, and descend to the proper altitude (these "complex" airplanes are called that for a reason-- it's just not like flying a C182!) so that I could fly the approach. Accomplishing this, I disengaged the AP and began my approach. All went well (okay, tolerable) until I was about 1 mile out at an altitude of around 500 feet. At that point, the plane began to slow and I got a stall warning. I quickly looked and saw that the airspeed had dropped to about 100 kts. I went to full power and waited for some airspeed... which never came. And before I could call the tower, I was in the Bay! I called the controller and told him I was going to have to paddle the rest of the way in. He asked me to stop at the 28R threshold to do a little fishing, and maybe cut the grass while I was there! The plane floated onto the runway, I got the instruction to exit right when able. By now, both the controller and myself were laughing so hard we could hardly talk. I couldn't resist addressing the main cabin with "please remain seated while I taxi what's left of our CRJ to the gate. If this and/or the laughing was a distraction, I apologize. I must have bumped my head on the yoke when we landed in the Bay.

Epilogue
I spent the next 3 days trying to figure out what happened... offline, I might add. As to the problems on departure, I still have no idea what happened. I've flown it a half dozen times since then, and each time has been normal. I think I did the same thing each time, but you know how that goes! The arrival mistake was obvious. I can claim that the chart was unfamiliar, the GPS was not what I'm accustomed to, the airplane was to unfamiliar... but what it really comes down to is twofold: (1) I should have been better briefed on the route-- there's just no excuse for that, and (2) I should have asked for clarification when I got what I (wrongly) thought was a deviation from the arrival procedure. The real humdinger was the landing in the Bay. I won't go into the 4 offline flights I attempted in the days following that all ended about halfway to KSFO when the simulator CTD'd (Crashed To Desktop). On the fifth attempt, I was just approaching the Bay at MENLO when, once again, the plane decelerated, lost altitude, stalled and crashed. On the sixth attempt, two days later, I successfully flew the entire route, landed, and taxied off 28R. As I did, both Left and Right generators failed... I looked, and all fuel tanks were empty!

I thought, that's not possible... the flight is 350 miles, and this thing has a 1700 mile range! Then the lightbulb came on... I reset the flight for KLAX gate 77 and noted that the tanks were less than 1/4 full... The short version is that when I "saved" the flight at KLAX gate 77, I had flown the plane from KSNA to KSAN, KSAN to KLAS, KLAS to KSNA, KSNA to KLAS, and finally, KLAS to KLAX... at which time I parked and saved the flight. What I didn't know was that each time I loaded the saved flight, the tanks were not restored to "full" status, but were instead reset to what they had in them when the flight was saved. So, for the final time, egg has landed all over my face. I have, so far, only concentrated on "flying" the CRJ, rather than learning all about its systems. I intend to correct this oversight...

So, now you're probably thinking to yourselves, "how could he be so dumb." That's okay, because I'm thinking exactly the same thing: How could I have been so dumb. So just take this little anecdote as an example of the therapeutic benefit of being able to laugh at yourself... It makes for a much more pleasant life... and with one final apology to my controller, I'll sign off!

-Henry

[Anthony Santanastaso]

Entertaining narrative, Henry. No apology necessary - that was quite the interesting flight!

By the way, did you catch any fish?

[Keith Smith]

Great story, Henry! I think you identified the major pain points. If it helps, when you're flying an arrival, the crossing altitudes will often be published on the STAR, either as mandatory altitudes, or with notes to 'expect' that altitude. With radio distortion and background noise, it can often be difficult to make out unfamiliar fix names. So, as you pointed out, briefing it advance will help. The 'expect 10,000' at BOLDR on the chart would've been a big heads up, along with the SKUNK reference (although we typically don't issue that). Another red flag would be that you're not going to be pulled off your clear route with a crossing restriction, unless they give you amended routing or an approach clearance to go with it.

So playing it out for a minute, when you altered your route to head to this other VOR (there isn't a Boulder VOR in the area, so I'm curious which one it was. The only one nearby is OSI which is Woodside), where were you going to navigate after that VOR? You were no longer on the arrival, and this new VOR wasn't on the cleared route, so that could also have been a red flag.

I was pulled into the world of jets, much like yourself and have learned a lot about the energy management with them. They have a much wider performance envelope than pistons. It's important to identify speed trends, not just your current speed. It's a real pleasure to hand fly the arrivals and really get to know the jet. Keep at it, you'll get there. Thanks for posting!

[C-JBCS]

Lots of great information here! I flew my first flight on PilotEdge tonight. It was also my first online flight ever! It certainly was a lot of fun. I have to say I was quite nervous and not confident at all; but the controller was very patient and helpful. I'm not a real pilot. I had just shy of 10 hours towards a Recreational permit here in Ontario Canada; but that was over 10 years ago when I was in high school. Latest instruction I've had was an hour in an ultralight about four years ago. Needless to say I am very green...

I started with some pattern work out of Oceano(L52) then requested a VFR flight following (on the wrong frequency). The controller helped me out and gave me Santa barbara Apr on 125.4. I tuned it in comm2 but didn't switch over to the comm2 frequency and asked for the following again on the wrong channel... I got it right afterward, and the controller asked for my vfr destination. I didn't have one. After a moment of ahhh's and umm's I advised I was just going to be flying vfr around the Oceano area. The controller obliged and gave my a squeak code. After a little tour I cancelled the following and landed at Oceano.

Though it was a very simple flight, I had an absolute blast! It's incredible how much the workload increases when you have to talk and manage your radios. I will defiantly be subscribing.

The flight can be heard here: http://assets.pilotedge.net/recordings/ ... _17510.mp3

[HenryR]

Entertaining narrative, Henry. No apology necessary - that was quite the interesting flight!

By the way, did you catch any fish?

Well, I must say the fish were not biting... could be that the shockwave from the CRJ pancaking into the SF Bay scared them off . However, when we opened the rear cargo hatch to retrieve what was left of the passengers' luggage, there were a few fish swimming in the water that filled the compartment!

I'm going to try the flight again once I get the plane repaired and recertified, so I'll listen for when you're online controlling... yeah, I know, don't do you any favors!

-Henry

[Anthony Santanastaso]

I'm going to try the flight again once I get the plane repaired and recertified, so I'll listen for when you're online controlling... yeah, I know, don't do you any favors!

Bring it on!

[HenryR]

Great story, Henry! I think you identified the major pain points. If it helps, when you're flying an arrival, the crossing altitudes will often be published on the STAR, either as mandatory altitudes, or with notes to 'expect' that altitude. With radio distortion and background noise, it can often be difficult to make out unfamiliar fix names. So, as you pointed out, briefing it advance will help. The 'expect 10,000' at BOLDR on the chart would've been a big heads up, along with the SKUNK reference (although we typically don't issue that). Another red flag would be that you're not going to be pulled off your clear route with a crossing restriction, unless they give you amended routing or an approach clearance to go with it.

So playing it out for a minute, when you altered your route to head to this other VOR (there isn't a Boulder VOR in the area, so I'm curious which one it was. The only one nearby is OSI which is Woodside), where were you going to navigate after that VOR? You were no longer on the arrival, and this new VOR wasn't on the cleared route, so that could also have been a red flag.

I was pulled into the world of jets, much like yourself and have learned a lot about the energy management with them. They have a much wider performance envelope than pistons. It's important to identify speed trends, not just your current speed. It's a real pleasure to hand fly the arrivals and really get to know the jet. Keep at it, you'll get there. Thanks for posting!

Thanks for your thoughts, Keith. I actually did brief the arrival, but I only used the Aivlasoft EFB to do so, and that was a mistake. I like the product, but I wish they would use standard chart formats. That said, I'm not making excuses, because the fault was mine. When Anthony gave me the crossing (BTW, comms were completely clear, and so were his instructions) I was just northwest of Monterey. The VOR symbol (it was SJC) appeared to be about 3 to 5-degrees north of my current course on the Big Sur 2 arrival. It was at the very top of the chart, and the label for BOLDR was adacent to it... I completely missed the triangle for the FIX, and thought BOLDR referred to the VOR (the SJC identifier was just off the top of the screen at that point). Now, how many mistakes are in that assumption? The obvious, a 5-letter identifier refers to a FIX, not a VOR. LOL. Next, as you pointed out, I was given no further routing, so that should have been a clear indication that I was making a bad assumption... and I know better than to assume. It would have been so simple to ask a question-- radio traffic was pretty light-- but alas, I just proceeded blindly. And paid the price.

One thought occurs to me... you continually hammer the point of flying online (as opposed to offline) for practice, and I agree with you. The more we expose ourselves to radio communications, the more comfortable we become with them. With more experience, I probably wouldn't have missed the obvious faults in my logic, as you so capably pointed out in your reply. Truth told, I tend to shy away from doing the flights online until I've tried them offline... because I don't want to screw up with a controller on the other end of the radio. And, of course, in the end my reluctance causes me to do exactly what I was afraid of! Human nature. I will try to do better about that.

The final postscript is this: my course deviation screw-up and then getting back on course resulted in the addition of approximately two miles to the trip... and the CRJ flamed out less than one mile from the runway . Need I say more?

-Henry

[ChrisS]

Never ever ever ever ever again on PilotEdge

Shared cockpit really messes with my flow. Lesson learned when flying shared cockpit is to actually communicate using appropriate CRM. Big kudos to the controller for being so good about this.

[cbarnesATC]

Never ever ever ever ever again on PilotEdge

Shared cockpit really messes with my flow. Lesson learned when flying shared cockpit is to actually communicate using appropriate CRM. Big kudos to the controller for being so good about this.

BEST...VIDEO...EVER!!!

Squawk standby

[flyingdrill]

I use X-Plane 10 on an iMac, and also FSX on the same machine in Windows 7 on a Boot Camp partition.

So, yesterday, I thought I'd get the rudder pedals down from the shelf. Ran FSX, and loaded up the A2A Cherokee for a few goes in the pattern at Palm Springs. Got my clearance and taxi instructions, and off I went. I thought the brakes were a bit odd, but dismissed the thought till I got to the hold line, where I proceeded to do a run-up. This is because A2A's engines get plug fouling very easily - frankly (IMO) more easily than in real life. To my horror, even with the pedal brakes on, and/or frantically hitting the parking brake key, the plane drifted forward on to the runway and then I was pulling the power back and jabbing the pedals and the keys.......!!! Then, I strayed on to the parallel runway, and was just about to press the transmit button to declare a minor emergency (!), when the controller came on to me with the info. that I had gone on to two runways without clearance.

I told him that I appeared to have lost my brakes, and that the FAA would not appreciate the incursions He said that he had a similar experience, and we both had a good laugh about it before I disconnected. Simming can often be a lot more difficult than the real thing! I've yet to fly a plane in real life that needs FSUIPC, EZDOK, TrackIR and so on just to fly in the pattern

Anyway, thanks to the controller for being such a good sport. That experience is one none of us would like to have in real life!

I'm just coming to the end of my trial period, and am signing up now. PE is so much fun, and the educational benefit is obvious. It improves radio skills, and keeps me sharp when I'm not flying (and, no doubt, when I am!).

Now, I think I'd better have a look at the controller configuration.........