What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

"Never Again"

Tom Maxwell

Well Known Member
Ok just for fun and education, don't hammer me. We have all read the "Never Again" stories in AOPA Pilot magazine and we have all heard the war stories about pilots getting into trouble and living to talk (or boast) about it. So here is a hypothetical story and I am interested in knowing how the FAA looks at these things and what really happens afterwards.

New low time VFR pilot takes off from ABC headed to XYZ. Weather briefing tells him that XYZ is socked in with fog which should burn off by the time VFR Pilot arrives. VFR Pilot preflights his plane and heads towards XYZ with clear skys ahead of him.

As he approaches XYZ, VFR Pilot notices that the fog has not lifted. Not being a smart guy, VFR Pilot pushes forward thinking, "Hey the weather guy said it should burn off before I get there so it will be OK. Surely there will be a break as I get nearer to XYZ." VFR Pilot pushes on and soon finds himself encased in a sea of white. He panics for a few seconds and then the few hours recently spent under the hood kicks in and he quickly consults his instruments. He finds he is doing OK and the plane is flying straight and level and on course. No need to panic. Sure doing a 180 would be the smart thing to do, but VFR Pilot does not. Soon he finds himself low on fuel and no time to get out of the mess. He is going to have to do something soon!

VFR Pilot finally decides he needs somes help and contacts the nearest control tower who quickly identifies him on radar and vectors him to an airport with limited visibility and 800 foot ceilings. In spite of everything VFR Pilot is able to land safely and taxi to the GA tie-down area.

Granted VFR Pilot made some bad decisions. But now he has a great story to tell all of his fellow pilots. But what happens next?

A) No harm no foul - VFR Pilot has a great story to tell his kids and fellow pilots.

B) The last transmission given to the Pilot was - "Call the tower at XXX-XXX-XXXX upon arrival. We want to talk to you."

C) VFR Pilot is met in the tie-down area by a representative from the FAA who lovingly requests that the VFR Pilot hand over his license.

D) Some weeks later VFR Pilot gets a nice letter from the FAA stating that VFR Pilot is hereby grounded, asking for a written description of the incident, and indicating that further legal action is pending.

E) VFR Pilot had the ____ scared out him and voluntarily terminates his flying career.

Again, I am more curious about how these situations play out more than what VFR Pilot should have done differently to keep out of trouble.
 
Long-winded response :)

I would speculate that therer is an "F" option. If the VFR pilot did not sound in a panic and simply requested vectors to nearest airport (as in I am less familiar with the area than I thought ..."no I am not lost...:) ), the ATC person may have not checked the conditions at the airport. If the airport did NOT have a tower and the VFR pilot got in by "scud-running", then probably nothing occurs. HOPEFULLY the VFR pilot learned something.

Also, I tend to think that most ATC people are more concerned about your safety than your punishment (assuming you don't do domething to put anyone else in harm's way. So the above ALSO assumes that VFR pilot does NOT encounter (and disrupt) another airplane on vectors to an IFR approach! In that case, I think the "call the tower" scenario would be the case.

Finally, I have received a "call the tower" from a particular controller at a certain airport (not my hometown) because after he asked my choice of runways to land, I told him which one and proceeded in that direction. There was nobody headed to that airport within 50 miles (wind was honking) so I had my hands full (taildragger) on short final. He chewed me out because he said he had NOT cleared me to land! Another (very proficient) pilot was with me at the time and we thought my being told to call the tower was a friend in the area simply pulling a joke. Nope the guy was serious. He made it clear that he was the boss there and finally sent we away with a warning. I have had other controllers be nothing but helpful when things deteriorate from "what was forecast" ...making it a most pleasant experience (for the circumstances.

Case in point (short form) ... On a planned trip from KCAE to KTLH on Christmas Eve, it was forecast to be overcast but clear all the way. I launch, it is SEVERE CLEAR (40+ miles). About 1/3 the way there a light mist/film of moisture falls on canopy and bubbles off. I tell the controller it is occuring in these SEVERE CLEAR conditions and I may do some course changes. She gives me another frequency so we can stay in touch. Well the stuff ICED UP in seconds. Told her about it (I am IFR rated), decended, headed towards nearest airport (they were ALL VFR) but decided to turn around and head back and skip the trip "home". She was most helpful ALL THE TIME and chatted with me about my "good decision" until she had to hand me off.

Long post to say "... it depends ..", :)

James
 
Here's another long response. :)

It's certainly possible that the whole incident could pass unnoticed, but based on the number of these adventures that get briefed at safety seminars, I don't think you can count on it. I'm reasonably sure that controllers are required to log these 'pilot assists'. But since ATC and your local FSDO are two separate organizations, I'm not sure how FSDO inspectors find out about them.

As for what happens if the FSDO does get involved, like in (c) or (d), the outcome often depends on how the pilot put himself/herself in the situation. A new VFR private pilot who inadvertently blunders into IMC might get only a warning and a requirement for additional training; the same pilot who presses on into IMC and knowingly stays there because it seems ok, could expect a more severe response.

It almost goes without saying, though, that it's always better to ask for help in these situations and accept the results once you're safe on the ground.

I know a few pilots who've found themselves in inadvertent IMC, but none of them wound up in category (e). They pulled themselves together, cleaned the seat cushions, and realized they were lucky enough to learn a lesson that might have come at a much higher cost.

Dave
CFII/MEI
 
Back
Top