alexnor
New member
Kissimmee, FL
- Aircraft Year
- 1978
- Aircraft Type
- 112TCA
- Reg Number
- N4676W
- Serial Number
- 13252
I wanted to share an experience from last Sunday in case it helps anyone in the group. I am an IFR rated Pilot flying my 112TCA.
Last Sunday I scheduled an IFR practice flight with a friend who is a VFR pilot. The plan was to practice some no gyro approaches. He was running late, and I took off from KPQL and picked him up at KGPT around 5pm or so. When I took off the dew point and the temp where about 3 degrees apart, but it was VFR with unlimited visibility and very blue skies. We then proceeded to KHSA and flew the approach. It was clear that weather was coming inland and at that point I got concerned. I re-filed IFR and headed back to KPQL, a short 25 min flight.
By the time I had reached KPQL it was night, which I fly from time to time. The tower had recently closed, and automated weather was reporting 800 ft ceilings. I asked Mobile Approach for the RNAV 17 approach. I was surprised the weather had moved in incredibly fast and at about 900 ft we were in thick fog descending on the approach. This is normally the altitude I would be ok breaking out of instead of flying into. The approach mins for this approach are 217 ft 1/2 vis. We got to 300 ft and the airport runway was nowhere in sight. It was all fog. I executed the missed approach and requested to head to KGPT where the tower was opened, commercial traffic land, and there is better runway lighting. ATIS was reporting 800 ft ceilings and I asked approach to double check at that moment to ensure the ATIS was current. They told me they had a jet taking off and they would get a PIREP from him. It turns out it was 300 ft overcast. Now the ILS 14 Z minimums are 227 1/2 mile. We looked at fuel, explored VFR alternatives but decided to give it one more shot. I say only one more shot because I have read many accident reports about IFR pilots crashing after getting tired after trying multiple unsuccessful approaches instead of going somewhere else.
At 800 feet we were again in the thick of the fog down to 300 feet when we began to break out, saw the runway lights and landed.
The first thing I have to say is that I practice this under the hood often. Sometimes with my VFR friend and other times with my CFII. The hood with the knowledge of another pilot gives you a sense of security and comfort that, at least for me, did not exist I encountered the real thing. I admit, that the first approach definitely shook me. The second I was a little more relaxed but I will not deny that I was very concerned about the risks of going down to 73 feet short of the minimums. By the time I parked the plane I was very shaken by the experience. I am not a commercial pilot and have no real need to put myself through the minimums in real life.
Where was my mistake? It was the fact that I did not put together what now seems obvious. The temp was close to the dew point before I took off late afternoon. I did not consider that when the sun would begin to come down the temp would easily hit the dew point and the weather would deteriorate. Being by the ocean, and the time of year for this area, did not help this either. The weather has been the same since then and still through today.
Even though these kinds of situations can be upsetting and embarrassing I feel that it is good to share them so hopefully this experience can help prevent the same from happening to others.
Last Sunday I scheduled an IFR practice flight with a friend who is a VFR pilot. The plan was to practice some no gyro approaches. He was running late, and I took off from KPQL and picked him up at KGPT around 5pm or so. When I took off the dew point and the temp where about 3 degrees apart, but it was VFR with unlimited visibility and very blue skies. We then proceeded to KHSA and flew the approach. It was clear that weather was coming inland and at that point I got concerned. I re-filed IFR and headed back to KPQL, a short 25 min flight.
By the time I had reached KPQL it was night, which I fly from time to time. The tower had recently closed, and automated weather was reporting 800 ft ceilings. I asked Mobile Approach for the RNAV 17 approach. I was surprised the weather had moved in incredibly fast and at about 900 ft we were in thick fog descending on the approach. This is normally the altitude I would be ok breaking out of instead of flying into. The approach mins for this approach are 217 ft 1/2 vis. We got to 300 ft and the airport runway was nowhere in sight. It was all fog. I executed the missed approach and requested to head to KGPT where the tower was opened, commercial traffic land, and there is better runway lighting. ATIS was reporting 800 ft ceilings and I asked approach to double check at that moment to ensure the ATIS was current. They told me they had a jet taking off and they would get a PIREP from him. It turns out it was 300 ft overcast. Now the ILS 14 Z minimums are 227 1/2 mile. We looked at fuel, explored VFR alternatives but decided to give it one more shot. I say only one more shot because I have read many accident reports about IFR pilots crashing after getting tired after trying multiple unsuccessful approaches instead of going somewhere else.
At 800 feet we were again in the thick of the fog down to 300 feet when we began to break out, saw the runway lights and landed.
The first thing I have to say is that I practice this under the hood often. Sometimes with my VFR friend and other times with my CFII. The hood with the knowledge of another pilot gives you a sense of security and comfort that, at least for me, did not exist I encountered the real thing. I admit, that the first approach definitely shook me. The second I was a little more relaxed but I will not deny that I was very concerned about the risks of going down to 73 feet short of the minimums. By the time I parked the plane I was very shaken by the experience. I am not a commercial pilot and have no real need to put myself through the minimums in real life.
Where was my mistake? It was the fact that I did not put together what now seems obvious. The temp was close to the dew point before I took off late afternoon. I did not consider that when the sun would begin to come down the temp would easily hit the dew point and the weather would deteriorate. Being by the ocean, and the time of year for this area, did not help this either. The weather has been the same since then and still through today.
Even though these kinds of situations can be upsetting and embarrassing I feel that it is good to share them so hopefully this experience can help prevent the same from happening to others.
