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Call the Tower

T

Tom Martin

Well Known Member
On the weekend, as I cleared runway 26 I heard the dreaded, "when you are able please phone the tower" In my mind I replayed my pattern, speeds, taxi, etc but could not for the life of me figure out what I had done wrong.
I was on an IFR flight plan, dense haze, one to two mile vis, and was cleared to a visual for runway 26.
When I eventually cleared customs and got to a phone the controller asked me if I was aware that I had landed on runway 31 and not 26?! No I was not, and at that point I was more then a little embarrassed, flustered etc. He was really good about it as there was little traffic, no conflicts etc and he even acknowledged that every one makes a mistake once in a while; but to me this was a big one. I have been flying for 30 years and this is a first for me.
Unfortunately the flying for 30 years is part, or likely, most of the problem. My mind does not work as quick as it once did but I still fly like it does. I have Foreflight, with runway extensions visible, two other gps maps, etc etc and I wonder if all that stuff is making me complacent.
Clearly I was disorientated and I can come up with lots of excuses, or reasons why it happened but what I am hoping for from this group are some hints, tricks, etc that you use to confirm your position relative to the runways when you approach an unfamiliar airport.
 
Thanks a lot for sharing this. Exchanges like this make us all look at our own flying, realize there is always room to improve/learn, and make us better aviators.

Just my technique - requires a heading bug - my heading bug is always on an assigned heading - departure, vector, runway. Even at my home field, I always move the heading bug to my landing azimuth. It's a habit, and a good one in my opinion.
 
At unfamiliar airports I always look for the runway number on my DG, e.g, if runway 30, is 300 at the bottom of the DG on downwind? 90 degrees if a base entry? or at the top if on final?

Heard over the air a few years ago:

Tower (to aircraft doing a touch and go): N123, you just landed on the left, you were cleared for the right.
N123: No we didn't. We were on the right.
Tower: make left pattern
a few minutes later, as N123 was abeam the approach end:
Tower: N123, look down at that runway. Can you read what it says?
N123: Ah, 7 left? How can that be?

It's a human factors thing. At LVK the winds favor 25 most of the time, and pilots come to associate "the right" with the northern runway. So when the wind shifts to favor 7, they "think" 7R is still the northern most runway.
 
Tom, thank you for sharing and reminding us all we are human, make mistakes and need to remain alert. I too have landed on the wrong runway. It was at Missoula Montana and was the end of a stressful IFR flight, had a load of ice on the canard and was sweating fuel. Same deal; "when you get a chance call the tower". It was shrugged off by the local controller, but I've never forgotten the situation or the pit in my stomach hearing those words on the radio.

I've also had a request to call the tower on two other occasions, but in those cases it wasn't a gross error on my part.

Dick Kreidel
 
Read my tag line....

I have no hints or procedures. I hope I can see the numbers to confirm.
My situational awareness is not as good as many I know. I am always impressed by those who have the ability to manage complex flight scenarios and still even find the airport, let alone the right runway.

I have been cleared on a runway from a mid entry taxiway and turned the wrong way. The tower was very kind.
"RV, stop, turn around, go the other way. You will have 2000' of runway in front of you. The 4000' in front of you now is soon to be occupied by the Dash8 on final."

I have an OSH story that I won't tell in this post, but the NASA form was filed....

Embarrassing..... but nothing damaged but ego. I let that go years ago. Operating an aircraft can be humbling.
 
Re. the tower calling you, I certainly hope you just get a "warning". You asked for hints or suggestions, here you go. Just arriving from an IFR flight, what happened to the approach brief? MICEATM. Am I cleared to land? Check inbound heading to land, verify with eyeballs if you can. Not much more complex than that, IMVHO. Humans are terribly unreliable. Even two person pro crews land on the wrong runway occasionally. You just got bit.
 
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I did the same thing many years ago (Rwy 23 vs 27 at KMLB) during the engine out landing portion of my Commercial Multi-Engine check ride. I weaseled out of it by saying that with a dead engine I wasn't about to do low level maneuvering when I had a perfectly good and empty runway dead ahead of me.

The DPE thought about it a second then said "Good answer, but next time land on the runway he tells you to." I got my CMEL ticket that day.

60av8tor said:
Just my technique - requires a heading bug - my heading bug is always on an assigned heading - departure, vector, runway. Even at my home field, I always move the heading bug to my landing azimuth. It's a habit, and a good one in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Now with my airplane I use this same technique and it works for me.

:cool:
 
Tom, make sure you fill out a NASA form. We all make mistakes and the form is cheap insurance. You can do it online and cut and paste from here. I would call the vis 3 miles when you fill out the form.

George
 
I haven't landed on the wrong runway YET, but I have found that when I make the most embarrassing mistakes is when I let myself get in a hurry, and that usually occurs when I am at a large, very busy airport. Last week at Chicago Midway, I made multiple minor mistakes (failed to turn transponder to "on" on the ground per that airport's requirement, fat fingered the transponder code, and turned briefly onto the wrong taxiway. Fortunately, no violations, but plenty of "red face".

I've told myself over and over again to slow it down and don't get hurried, but it's a strong impulse when the controllers are rattling off the instructions and you have Southwest 737s behind you on the taxiway.
 
Tom Martin said:
On the weekend, as I cleared runway 26 I heard the dreaded, "when you are able please phone the tower" In my mind I replayed my pattern, speeds, taxi, etc but could not for the life of me figure out what I had done wrong.
I was on an IFR flight plan, dense haze, one to two mile vis, and was cleared to a visual for runway 26.
When I eventually cleared customs and got to a phone the controller asked me if I was aware that I had landed on runway 31 and not 26?! No I was not, and at that point I was more then a little embarrassed, flustered etc. He was really good about it as there was little traffic, no conflicts etc and he even acknowledged that every one makes a mistake once in a while; but to me this was a big one. I have been flying for 30 years and this is a first for me.
Unfortunately the flying for 30 years is part, or likely, most of the problem. My mind does not work as quick as it once did but I still fly like it does. I have Foreflight, with runway extensions visible, two other gps maps, etc etc and I wonder if all that stuff is making me complacent.
Clearly I was disorientated and I can come up with lots of excuses, or reasons why it happened but what I am hoping for from this group are some hints, tricks, etc that you use to confirm your position relative to the runways when you approach an unfamiliar airport.
Click to expand...

I'd like to know why the tower didn't advise you about the wrong runway before you landed on it. The local controller should be certain about who is landing where. Therefore, I will be charitable and assume that he did know you were landing on the wrong runway, and elected to have you continue the approach and landing, since it was safe to do so.
 
This situation has always been one of the most challenging situations for me as a pilot:

Approaching an unfamiliar airport, especially one with several runways, and getting set up properly for pattern entry, and landing on the correct runway taking wind direction into account. (referring to non towered airports in this case)

I would love to hear more simple tricks and tips to help with this situation.

The way Foreflight displays wind directions for the runways has been a great help to me lately. Also, the display of extended runway center lines is a great help too.

Randall
 
no-one is immune....

Tom thanks for sharing, lots of good feedback here.
In my area, 2 airports withing 35 miles with the same runway headings.
north-south valley (lake) and you hear a fair bit of errors...including me....lots of pilots with many hours make the same east west switch ( no idea why)

I've called over a reporting point;
".....I-N-T over the west side of Okanagan lake at 3500', approaching the yacht club....will join downwind right for 34....."

TWR; "...ah, ok but the yacht club is on the east side, unless they moved it......"
 
Mark Dickens said:
failed to turn transponder to "on" on the ground per that airport's requirement
Click to expand...

FYI, the AIM now recommends your transponder be on at all times, at all airports. So you can get in the habit of doing that everywhere, not just at large airports:

AIM 4-1-20:

3. Civil and military transponders should be turned to the “on" or normal altitude reporting position prior to moving on the airport surface to ensure the aircraft is visible to ATC surveillance systems.

7. Aircraft equipped with ADS-B (1090 ES or UAT) must operate the equipment in the transmit mode (on position) at all times while on any airport surface.

Note that with Mode-S transponders, GROUND mode counts as "ON" for these purposes.
 
Tom Martin said:
On the weekend, as I cleared runway 26 I heard the dreaded, "when you are able please phone the tower" In my mind I replayed my pattern, speeds, taxi, etc but could not for the life of me figure out what I had done wrong.
I was on an IFR flight plan, dense haze, one to two mile vis, and was cleared to a visual for runway 26.
When I eventually cleared customs and got to a phone the controller asked me if I was aware that I had landed on runway 31 and not 26?! No I was not, and at that point I was more then a little embarrassed, flustered etc. He was really good about it as there was little traffic, no conflicts etc and he even acknowledged that every one makes a mistake once in a while; but to me this was a big one. I have been flying for 30 years and this is a first for me.
Unfortunately the flying for 30 years is part, or likely, most of the problem. My mind does not work as quick as it once did but I still fly like it does. I have Foreflight, with runway extensions visible, two other gps maps, etc etc and I wonder if all that stuff is making me complacent.
Clearly I was disorientated and I can come up with lots of excuses, or reasons why it happened but what I am hoping for from this group are some hints, tricks, etc that you use to confirm your position relative to the runways when you approach an unfamiliar airport.
Click to expand...

At least you landed at the right airport :) And you didn't make the news :):)

Which airport did this occur at? At an unfamiliar airport, in visibility less than 6 miles, even if I'm cleared for a visual approach, I like to have an instrument approach loaded for the planned landing runway (if such an approach exists). Putting yourself on the approach track on short final goes a long way towards getting you to the right runway.

If you are planning a circling approach, or flying to a runway with no approach available, I study the airport diagram very closely, looking for traps like parallel taxiways that could be mistaken for a runway, or two runways that diverge from the threshold of the planned landing runway.
 
I agree with Kevin Horton, you landed at the right airport and you didn't make the news. Bottom line, there are cowboys who we all know and eventually who kills themselves, and then there are the rest of us who occasionally make boo boos that are understood and overlooked by the folks in ATC. If there is a take away lesson you'll figure out what it is and be better for it.

Don't sweat the small stuff and keep flying!
 
One of the things I do so I don't make that mistake is about 6 miles out or so I use the OBS feature on the 430, hit the button and spin the OBS to the RWY heading and it draws out the intercept ,,use it all the time.
 
I usually have my flight guide opened to the airport several miles out, and orented on my lap in the direction I am flying. Once I get a good visual on the runway I look for things like hangers, VOR's, tower, wind sock ect. and make sure the picture out the window matches the one in my lap.
 
Lighten up, Francis!

Hey - you found the right airport. Atta boy!

With 3 of us watching, we sometimes end up in a 'discussion' about the runway in the B25. I'm gonna learn that 430 trick! Generally, we are at the correct airport....

Carry on!
Mark
 
Well this is to encourage the original poster, don't feel bad about this learn and move on. Here at home we had a well known airline land their airplane at the WRONG airport. It is about 8 miles from the one they were supposed to, just so happens both airports have a 15/33 runway. It was after hours and the tower was closed they just lined up on the wrong airport. I am pretty sure both pilot and copilot lost their jobs. Of course it was a big deal in the news, they had to bus out the passengers, runway was to short for their airplane, hmmmmm

Bird
 
Thank you to everyone for the thoughtful and constructive conversation. I now have some really good tools to help me to not only get myself orientated properly but to also confirm that I have the correct runway. I believe that the controller, when he realized what I was doing, made a judgement call that it was safer to let me continue then to add more confusion to the situation, and I thank him for that. I am only in my third year of IFR and it has been a humbling experience. This time I got caught in the transition between a planned RNAV approach and an unplanned, on my part, visual approach. One of the reasons that I entered the IFR world later in life was to challenge myself to be a better pilot and this helpful conversation will steer me in the right direction! Thanks to all.
 
Runway

Relatively low time pilot here and just flew an
Rv-3 east from Kansas City. Passing Illonis and about to
Hit Ohio where I was planning to land, the ceilings where
To low for my comfort Level. I turned back to land
In Champaign Class C. No sun, I was a bit directionally out of sorts.
ATC confirmed 18. I flew a course of 18 to try and get my
Visual bearing a few miles out. As I flew closer I asked permission
To fly overhead at 500 over pattern. ATC confirmed.
Spotting the runway numbers, I new for sure how to set up my pattern
New airport, no sun, it all worked out. Wanted to be 100% landing
On the correct runway. I also use the extended runway feature on my
IPAD. That works well.
 
Which airport?

Do an ASRS database search (same outfit as the nasa forms - I used to work there) and see how many folks have made the same mistake. When I was researching runway incursions, there were lots of places where mistakes were common (hot spots, they're now called) and lots of factors that would predict where problems would occur.

And what airport? By chance, were the approach ends of the two runways really close?

Ed
 
For me it's taxi issues more that rwy.

At least in the air you can see the numbers. I usually get more confused on the ground.
At large unfamiliar airports (especially those that also have commercial traffic). I always fess up to ground control and request progressive taxi!
 
I've been there. It's an awful feeling and it's easy to beat yourself up. Happened to me when I skidded across a hold short line some years ago.

The tower guy was also cool but he also said he had to make a report on it (I had self reported the transgression). I had to meet with the FAA guy and he was great too.

Still I got a letter that warned against doing it again. I keep it.

Whenever I start feeling I might be getting just a little bit overconfident, I pull it out and read it.
 
Thanks for the story Tom. You're not a real pilot until you have to make "the call". Heck, it could have been much worse! I know of at least one person who was cleared to land on Runway 30 at Santa Maria airport in California. She however landed on Runway 30 at an adjacent airport....unfortunately, that was Vandenberg Airforce Base. Talk about a BAD day! I personally, have come chillingly close to landing on a parallel taxiway at Teteboro Airport following an IFR Approach shortly after I got my rating. I would have if the tower hadn't brought it to my attention.
 
My cheat is the synthetic approach feature on the GRT EFIS. Great for unfamiliar airports, parallel runways, night, or the dreaded straight-in approach at an unfamiliar airport (I always end up high and fast). Just fly through the boxes!
 
Low Pass said:
Humans are terribly unreliable. Even two person pro crews land on the wrong runway occasionally. You just got bit.
Click to expand...

Ha! Sometimes they even land at the wrong airport! :D:D:D:D

several cases come to mind, including recently in Wichita the dream-hauler landed at Jabara instead of McConnell AFB. Its not even the airport next door, its TWO airports away.

Steve
 
Adam said:
One of the things I do so I don't make that mistake is about 6 miles out or so I use the OBS feature on the 430, hit the button and spin the OBS to the RWY heading and it draws out the intercept ,,use it all the time.
Click to expand...

Be careful using this at airports that have parallel runways. This projects from the center of the airport, which is not the center of any particular runway, and could lead you right down to 32R when you were cleared 32L.

It's a tool, but know the limitations.
 
Instrument approach

My airline's policy is if there is an instrument approach for the runway we WILL have it tuned in.

Even if you're a VFR pilot, you can tune in an ILS or an load an RNAV approach and at least see if you're on centerline.

This has saved my bacon a few times.

-- Rich
N707RW
 
Local landmarks

When you call in over local landmarks, those calls mean nothing to transient pilots who don't know the local landmarks and have no way of finding out where they are. Similarly, calling in over IFR intersections means nothing to folks who are VFR only. Better is to use both the landmark and something airport-relative.
 
The Dreaded 30 year thingeee!

I too have been flying for thirty plus years and turning 60 wonder.... am I fit to fly? Should it be for the young quick minds only?

I recently took some recurrency training and found that I had over the years let some complacency and just laziness into my flying.

Following the recurrency training I feel more confident and yes I too use cheats like heading bugs, two source points for decisions and visual clues and like the gentleman earlier ALWAYS remain humble and ready to learn.. Bring on the 70's and lets keep flying safe! A mistake is an opportunity to learn.
 
Load approach

Tom,
I have done the same thing. Now I always try to "load" the approach on my GPS devices for the runway I'm assigned, even if I'm doing a visual or it is a clear VFR day. Selecting vectors to final will show the runway centerline on the Garmin, and the approach plate will overlay on my Foreflight.
Jeff Bertsch
 
''Call the tower '' in reverse

Well today I had the ''pleasure ''of being the one who told the tower ''Can I have a phone number so I can call you and we can discuss the matter a little more thoroughly''

Requested a visual low approach from CYMX Radio ( there's no longer an official tower in CYMX ) today to check the SV of my Skyview and when asked by the controller at which altitude I was planning on doing that I told him at 1000' or below and he acknowledged and cleared me as requested.

The snafu was that there were personnel working on the rwy and he forgot to warn them of the low approach and I did the low approach at the ILS Minimum ( 200' + agl and these guys weren't too please to see an airplane overflying them ....so as I was just about to start the go around the controller came on frequency chewing my rear end because he said that I went way lower than clear and asked again at what altitude I was cleared for the low approach and when I told him, he kept on chewing me up and that is when I told him '' Can I please have your tel # or your supervisor # so that we can clear the matter.....Long silence ( probably listen to the tapes ) and he told me that all was fine...That it was his mistake.

I had a bit of a laugh and let the matter drop til final at my strip and when I called final, I told him ''Sorry about the confusion '.. he quickly said that everything was all right and wish a good day..

We have a good working relationship with the Tower guys in CYMX.

The thing is that we sometimes make mistakes but so do ATC...The main thing is to acknowledge the mistake,fix it and move on..

Today was also a lesson for me...Know what you have being clear to do and confirm if unsure..

Bruno
 
RichWilson said:
My airline's policy is if there is an instrument approach for the runway we WILL have it tuned in.

Even if you're a VFR pilot, you can tune in an ILS or an load an RNAV approach and at least see if you're on centerline.

This has saved my bacon a few times.

-- Rich
N707RW
Click to expand...

My rule of thumb is when, going in to an airport that I am unfamiliar with, I always load the approach in to the GPS. Even if you do not have your OBS or HSI set up for the approach, it helps to just be-able to look and see where you are. This is all provided you have a moving map on your EFIS or GPS.
 
A lot of people have done something similar at some stage.. For me it was my first CPL flight test - I had created a mindset that I would be cleared for a right base for runway 18 left.. But they cleared me to join right hand downwind for runway 18 RIGHT, I must have read back the clearance correctly, because they didn't question me until I was established on right base for 18L. Fixed it quickly, re-checked the clearance, and control did their job - which was to help me!
Didn't fail the test either, the examiner said they'd seen worse!
Sometimes we all need a reminder that it is too easy to make simple mistakes, especially when under a little bit of pressure. I now make sure I write down every clearance, and even draw a little pencil arrow on the plate to make sure I get it right.
Only human!
 
If you fly you're going to make mistakes ( screw up now and then)

I sit in the seat and do a check list before every flight - it's very simple but reassuring.

I still carry the old fashioned paper airport directories with field diagrams. Looking at a field diagram helps keeping orientated.

A potential screw up is being cleared for 26R and setting up for 8L. Checking that boo-boo requires concentration, I did it once on a taxi clearance. The tower guy kindly reminded me I was going to the wrong runway.

What helps all this stuff For me is to fly often.

So far so good - age 75 1/2 . I think about it a lot and wonder when it will end, nothing lasts forever. For now flying the 8 is a fun challenge, I am enjoying the process.
 
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Have the plane in the pattern give us a call..

I was finishing a long cross country a while back and when I called out my position and intentions at my home field another airplane called "aircraft in the pattern at Lumpkin do you copy? I answered and he said, Center would like you to give them a call at 555-123-4567.

I had bypassed a restricted area in Alabama and for some reason when I went by, I took a couple SNAPs of the screen at different ranges just playing around.

When I called Center and gave him my tail number he stated, "you flew through a Restricted area". As luck would have it i had been playing with my autopilot and had setup up a route just north of the restricted area and knew exactly what he was talking about. I replied that while I was within 2 miles of it I didn't enter it and that I had GPS track data and screen shots of my track and that I would be glad to discuss the matter with them. He bluntly asked if I was using a certified GPS or one of those handheld units. I had a certified unit with current databases and once again told him I would be glad to provide him with time stamped images and a track.

His reply was, I'll look into this an get back to you. He did call back in a few minutes and simply stated, we've reviewed the radar data and decided not to persue this, but don't do it again.

That was not what I wanted to hear and pressed him on "don't do what again?, fly by a restricted area? All he would say was "we won't be pursuing this anymore".

Long story short, the controllers radar was on longer range and he thought I'd busted the airspace and was ready to violate me until they took a closer look and discovered he was incorrect.

For my part, I didn't poke the bear on purpose but I now give restricted airspace a few more miles of clearance.

I wasn't using flight following but center had watched my return for 200 plus miles and requested an IFR airplane to contact me on Unicom and relay the dreaded "call this number" message.

It's never to ask, how was your trip today?
 
Rod Machado had a good tip on this that I've used for many years and every flight.

When you get a runway assignment, he said, hold your finger up and point it so it's corresponding to the compass heading. Your finger position matches the one out your window.
 
Yup, years ago (text here on VAF somewhere) CBP tracked us all day across the whole state of Texas. When we got back home our tower gave the number to call. But this time it was just a courtesy, probably because Tanya had just delivered cookies to them a few days before, to let us know that CBP just called asking for the N number of the airplane on short final... Never heard anything more. Major waste of their (our!) funds.
 
RV8iator said:
I had bypassed a restricted area in Alabama and for some reason when I went by, I took a couple SNAPs of the screen at different ranges just playing around.
Click to expand...

I had a similar thing happen several years. I was bypassing a Presidential TFR when my #2 radio popped up on 121.5 saying "Flight of 2 westbound 7 miles south of Temple turn right 15?. You are about to enter a restricted area."
I answered that "Our current course will take us 5 miles outside the TFR, but we will turn right as you request."
We had flown the exact same course that morning going down and nothing was said.
I heard them call a couple of other aircraft that were IN the TFR and told them to exit the area immediately or they would fired upon. Sounded like they were having a bad day.
 
Me too!

I had a similar thing happen to me, only it was a VFR, local flight. The tower told me to call them on the land line. I went through everything and couldn't think of anything I had done wrong. As it turned out, they only wanted to know if I knew anyone with an RV-6/7 for sale. His son was in the market. I ended up getting a great tower tour out of it.
 
call the tower

When I was a flight engineer years ago, I instructed part time. Since I was part time and the Part 141 chief pilot didn't like the part time guys. I always got the less than stellar students. One was an older fellow who had been to every airport and flight instructor in the area but could never solo. Well, I got him soloed at our tower controlled field,and we started working on his first cross country flights. We did the same short xc duel twice and so I sent him off on the same xc solo.

He flew to the destination but didn't land because nobody answered the unicom,got flustered, flew back home and flew through the airport traffic area without a call to the tower, continued on for 10 minutes and then turned around and flew through the traffic area again without a call. On the third pass through the airport traffic area he just picked a runway and landed.

I got a call from the tower over that event.

cm
 
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