Ab-initio NIGHT FLIGHT INCIDENTS

Summary:

Post here any incidents that you have experienced at night, and help out other fellow pilots with theirs.

page 1 of 212next »

Checks during stop & go at night

JDPerezgonzalez 23 Oct 2008 03:23

[In behalf of Anonymous user, originally posted on 20 Oct 2008]

I was night flying in the PM circuit with tower still on watch when I was instructed to make a full stop on the runway due wake turbulence. I made a standard landing (65kts with 3 stages of flap). I was then cleared for takeoff and proceeded with a standard takeoff roll, but noticed that the aircraft became airborne at a slower than normal airspeed and felt very unstable. I then noticed that my rate of climb was very low and became concerned about the aircraft's performance and prepared for the possibility of an emergency landing on the remaining runway. I did a quick FMI check (including carb heat) and on checking quickly around the cockpit I noticed that the flap lever was still set at 3 stages.

I had forgotten to retract the flaps after my full stop on the runway and failed to check them before takeoff, something I always do during a touch & go but forgot on this occasion (possibly due to a non-standard procedure and lack of visual cues at night). So I retracted the flaps in stages and was able to continue with a normal climb-out.

So I guess this is a "learn from my mistake" situation!

Last edited on 23 Oct 2008 03:24 by JDPerezgonzalez Show more

Misconceptions during night flight

JDPerezgonzalez 23 Oct 2008 03:25

[In behalf of Anonymous user, originally posted on 21 Oct 2008]

I was cleared a university departure off 07 at PM for a night flight into the southern training area with a passenger in the right seat. I reported clear of the zone at the university and changed to Manawatu Traffic, made a position report and stated my intention to track south towards Levin. I then heard a report from a pilot stating that they were in the vicinity (southwest from memory) of Tokomaru tracking to PM. So I'm looking out frantically for some position lights, a landing light or strobes to give some indication of where the aircraft is, while trying to work out why they would be tracking to PM via the uni when 07 was in use and explaining to my passenger what I think is going on. Assuming the other aircraft was tracking in my direction I was gradually altering heading (unconsciously) to the right. After a couple of minutes I assumed the aircraft must have gone past me and so resumed my track to the "south".

About a minute later PM tower called me up on 122.6 MHz to ask me if I realised I was tracking towards Kairanga! I was basically tracking along the southern boundary of the CTR but because I hadn't even realised I had turned, I hadn't clicked that what I was seeing wasn't what I was assuming it to be. I apologised and immediately altered heading left to track for Levin (my original reference point). The rest of the flight continued without further incident.

There were a number of misconceptions that occurred:

1) I had a passenger whom I allowed to distract me when I should have been concentrating on departing the CTR safely
2) Although the other aircraft reported Tokomaru tracking PM, they were intending to track via Longburn, not via Uni as I assumed
3) Aviate, Navigate, Communicate - I failed to aviate accurately, altering heading without realising and then failed to identify that I was off-track by referencing what I was seeing against my VNC
4) I should have been referencing the DI/compass to confirm correct heading

It's pretty easy to become disoriented when flying VFR at night, I've found I need to concentrate constantly to be sure that what I think I'm seeing is actually correct. Has anyone else found that or is it just me!

nose wheel landing at feilding (light)

faddy 23 Oct 2008 08:21

As i remember that was my third solo night flight. And the last time i had a night sortie was probably 2 weeks ago or so ( due to weather or whatever reason they just never didnt schedule me), and its the first time I ever landed at feilding at night solo. Cleared bunnythope departure off 25 and track to feilding as usual. Done all the checks and standard over head rejoin was sweet, until when i was crosswind the runway was suddenly gone, so i took out my feilding aerodrome info plate immediately and turn the lights back on straight away. ( My instructor had never briefed me on this so i was a little bit shocked especially its the first time to land at that aerodrome at night). Downwind, base and final was ok until when i was just started flaring the nose wheel had touched the runway and the aircraft bounced, then i just put on a little bit of power and landed normally. To a certain extend, the reason of this incident is because i was not current in night flying and they should schedule me as soon as possible after my dual sortie. ( not 2 weeks)

Re: Ab-initio NIGHT FLIGHT INCIDENTS

Anonymous (125.238.124.x) 02 Nov 2008 22:58

During my solo night flight i went to fielding, and did a standard overhead rejoin to do a touch and go at fielding, i figure out where runway traffic was, and which is the traffic side and non traffic side, however, once im overhead, i normally overhead coming inbound from Palmerston, but this time i came in from different direction, then i started to get confused, i become disoriented, and fly overhead fielding AD. i flew overhead for about 10 minutes try to figure out the traffic direction, because it was at night, its really hard to see and pin point things. I was preoccupied on putting my head down to much on a landing charts, then i didn't realize that my aircraft is descending to the traffic side and i was at the traffic circuit altitude which is 1200 feet, lucky there was not any traffic around, if there were a traffic i would have been colliding with them.

Re: Ab-initio NIGHT FLIGHT INCIDENTS

ALAMAKstress 09 Nov 2008 22:10

it was one of my last night flying when i had to do just 0.5 hours to complete and achive the minimum hours needed. i had to do just 4 or 5 touch and gos and that would be it. the first few happened and everything went fine but the last was something i never expected to happen. there were 3 of us in the circuit and out of the three was me and my friend. he was behind me on a short finals when i touched down for a full stop but before i could taxi into the holding area at yankee, my engine died on me. and i was positioned almost half entering the holding area and the otehr half (my aircrafts body the fin and all) were still on the active runway. i knew he was really close behind me for a landing and at that moment the first thing i thought of was to switch the engine on and get off it asap. so i tried and it didnt work. then i heard his radiocall saying that he was on short finals and i tried it one last time to switch the engine on and it did. i taxied as fast as possible out of the runway and turned back to see him take off. when i went back and met him in the walkway i told him what had happened and he was just shocked as he didnt even realize that i was still partly on the runway…. close shave!

Re: Ab-initio NIGHT FLIGHT INCIDENTS

Anonymous (125.238.124.x) 10 Nov 2008 02:58

During my first night flight the instructor decided to do a touch and go at Feilding due to a large amount of traffic operating at Palmerston. We commenced the turn on to finals and the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) lights were full red telling us we were low. We decided to fly level and intercept the profile however we didn’t realise how low we were until a tree passed about 20 feet away from the wing tip around 10 feet below us so we immediately went around. Given that it was at night and we had full red on the PAPI we should have gone around after that initial turn onto finals.

Re: Ab-initio Dusk Fuel

turbo1 10 Nov 2008 03:11

Reasonably early in my training my flight was scheduled in the late afternoon- close to ECT. This in itself was fine and with tight scheduling expected, to a degree. Another requirement of that flight was that i refuelled after completion to prevent somone else running over time in the morning by the necessity of a refuel. Problems arose when i was unfamiliar with the layout in the coming dark and entered the refuelling station at the exit- i realised this and correctly dealt with the situation before denting the wing on the NO ENTRY sign!

Importance of Courtesy

Anonymous (125.238.186.x) 10 Nov 2008 14:19

While training for my PPL night rating my instructor drilled into me the notion that it was good airmanship and good courtesy to taxi without landing light and strobes should it interfere with the operations of other pilots. I learnt the importance of such courtesy one night when I was practising circuits towards the end of my training. I had completed several circuits (tower off watch) already and was focussing on making good landings before my rating test, but did not notice that the mail plane had begun its operations for the night and had begun to taxi towards the holding point for the runway. On my final approach I was nearing tochdown and passing abeam the holding point when the mail plane's pilots decided to switch from taxi to landing lights. The surprise of being so suddenly and brightly illuminated caused me to glance sideways at the other aircraft just as I was nearing touch down resulting in a very messy and uncomfortable landing. From my point of view this was very poor airmanship and a lack of common courtesy to others on the behalf of the mail plane's pilots that could have ended up much less favourably. Since then I have better understood the need for understanding between pilots sharing airspace at night and try to ensure that my operations on the ground do not distract those already in the air. This can be as simple as not using strobe lighting on taxiways or leaving the landing light off until lined up on the runway, especially when taxiing in the direction of the operating runway.

Low over the fence

PDG (guest) 05 Oct 2009 10:05

In my night training i was completing circuits at Feilding Aerodrome. After a landing into the runway i was running out of runway to dump the flap and through to full power. But i did it the fastest i have ever done it in my life. It seems it took forever for the aircraft to accelerate to rotate speed, in which i ended up rotating early anyways. I was barely climbing and really worried about the end fence. when i passed over the fence it looked liek i was very low and now had to worry about the houses and trees after that. However speed increased ROC increased and i was able to continue climbing away at best ROC. So if ever in doubt go around, make it a fiull stop and backtrack

Re: Ab-initio NIGHT FLIGHT INCIDENTS

NickAshley 13 Aug 2010 05:18

During my night PPL rating, my instructor and I were flying over the city when I saw a green light flash in the left window. I initially thought it was another aircraft's starboard nav light" and mentioned this to the instructor who turned to the right (away from the light). Then the light came back, flashing around the cockpit, we instantly thought "it's a laser", and sure enough it was. Someone down below was painting us with a green laser, but stopped after about 10 seconds. Although nothing really came out of this incident, I think it is a good example of "it can happen to you". I'm sure that most pilots think at some point that this is something that will never happen, whether it's carb icing, mid air collision, busting airspace, forgetting to put the fuel caps on. Lasering was something I had read about, and actually thought "Nah, that will never happen to me". Be ever vigilant and be prepared for the worst.

page 1 of 212next »