Static failure last night

[flyingdrill]

Was doing a couple of practice ILS approaches into Oxnard last night in Carenado's Archer in X-Plane. After an hour's worth of hand flying to accurate headings and altitudes - no autopilot or GPS in the Archer - it's amazing how it becomes so real. I was doing OK. Good practice for my RW currency stuff I will be doing shortly.
Suddenly, as I was intercepting the glide slope on the second approach, I realised things weren't quite right. I'd set the appropriate power setting and attitude to fly the glide slope when I noticed my speed decaying to a ridiculous figure. I put in some more power, and dropped the nose a bit, and the speed seemed to go up, but the VSI was not moving, and then I saw my altitude was not changing either. A bit of flap didn't make any difference. Decision time.

In this case, I had been ordered to maintain VFR, so no real panic. I flew the needles, checked the time, and eventually got through to the controller who had just switched from PG! I said I had an instrument problem, but I mumbled something about the suction - which obviously was not the problem. I knew it was the static port, but it was around 1:00 a.m. in the UK (not the best time to be coping with problems!), and I corrected myself after flying to a 100' or so above MDA, and then landing the plane easily. The controller had asked whether I needed assistance, but this was no emergency! Of course, the old partial panel routine is usually played out as a no gyro situation. I asked the controller whether he had failed anything, but he denied it. I wonder whether PG did the mischief just before he went off, as I don't remember having failures allowed by me in X-Plane. I checked the failures after shutting down, and it was the static port blocked, of course.

I thought about this scenario in the RW. In VFR conditions, not a disaster. Not good in IMC. You can fly on attitude and power (fly the numbers), but you could still drift up or down easily, as not letting anything budge for a while is very tiring, with a lot of information that you need missing. Easier with a GPS, where you can get some altitude readout. Also ATC would assist you.
The static port could be frozen, so pitot heat could help - but not on a sunny summer day in California. It's the alternate air - that's what you do - except Carenado's PA28 has the label above where it should be, but the control isn't there! Also I remember the old "you could try cracking the glass on the VSI" routine.........

I admit that at 1:00 a.m. with a few hundred feet to go, I didn't think of the obvious solution - but it was not a solution in this sim! What it shows is that stuff you learn in the early stages of learning to fly is very important, and one needs to go over the books from time to time to keep things fresh.

Just a thought.

[Donovan]

Although the plane I fly in the sim has an alternate static port lever, it is non-functional in the sim. So far, my static port blockages have all been cleared by adding static port heat. (knock on wood)
Like you say, not so critical in VFR, but in IMC... ouch!

Don

[flyingdrill]

Don, I have just edited the post to do the alternate static solution - and I had not read your reply! Honestly! I woke up, and thought of it myself

[Keith Smith]

Alternate air is not related to the static system, it only provides an alternate source of air for the induction system.

If you had an alternate static source, that would be worth a try, but alternate air is not going to provide any love for your static system.

[flyingdrill]

Pardon me, Keith. Of course you are right. I know what I meant. Just used the wrong word. I would have used the correct lever

[Donovan]

I know what I meant. Just used the wrong word.

I used the same logic with Wife #1 -- no go.
Tried it again with Wife #2 -- again, no go.

Seems perfectly reasonable to me!



Don

[flyingdrill]

Donovan:

Love it