ATSB report on PPL inadvertently entering cloud on X-Country flight.

[A37575]

The current ATSB Aviation Short Investigation Bulletin No. 47 published an incident where a PA 28 on a VFR cross-country flight from Moorabbin inadvertently entered into cloud while attempting to maintain VFR. The pilot had decided to do a 180 degree turn and return to Moorabbin and it was during this turn he found himself in cloud.

The purpose of the flight was to gain solo cross-country experience towards a CPL. He already had a PPL which included cross-country flying as part of the syllabus. The pilot advised ATC of his predicament and in conjunction with ATC and an instructor flying nearby he was able to regain VFR and landed back at Moorabbin.

The ATSB report stated:

Almost instantly, the pilot realised that the aircraft was now completely engulfed in cloud, and had entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot was not instrument rated, nor was the aircraft approved for flight in IMC.
The aircraft was equipped with a Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR), but the pilot had not been trained to operate this navigational aid.
.

At a guess, at the time of the flight, the pilot would have accumulated around 75 hours including at least five hours of dual instruction of simulated instrument flight time (under-the-hood) and depending on flying school policy maybe a small amount of synthetic trainer time.

It is incredible that during his dual flying up to the time of this incident, his instructors had not bothered to teach him the basics of using a VOR or even the ADF to fix his position. After all, it takes only a few minutes to demonstrate to a student how to twiddle an OBS and read a radial or use the needle of a ADF to get a bearing.

While the PPL or CPL syllabus may not include the need to know something on how to tune and identify a VOR or NDB, this basic knowledge could be very useful for VFR flying if only as a rough guide to present position.

The student doesn't need to know how to fly an instrument approach of course, but common sense would surely dictate that a pilot should know how to operate every switch in his aircraft before first solo and certainly as part of first area solo knowledge. In fact, this could easily be taught by a qualified instructor on a desk top trainer. Of course, if the instructor hasn't a clue how to operate a VOR/ADF himself because he doesn't have an instrument rating, then that really says something about the individual instructor's professional attitude.

To certify a PPL student safe to perform his first solo cross-country, yet fail to ensure he can back up his map reading if necessary, by confirming his approximate position using the navigational instruments available to him in the cockpit, is a surely dereliction of duty by the flying school concerned and students instructor - even though whatever training syllabus is used by the flying school may not publish a specific requirement to do so.
After all, it's not exactly rocket science to teach a student how to use an VOR OBS indicator in a PA28:ok:

[Sunfish]

I was shown how to use the VOR and ADF as a PPL, but I think I read somewhere that I am prohibited by CASA from using them for navigation since I need an "endorsement" on each device to do that or some such twaddle. I use them anyway because the navigators second rule is to always use every means available to cross check your position.

[IFEZ]

Whilst I agree that you should be capable of using whatever navaids you have in the aircraft (at least at their basic level), I'm not sure how being able to use a VOR would have helped the pilot in this case. Moorabbin has an NDB but not a VOR. Not sure how far he got before he decided to turn back but in any event he shouldn't be stuffing around trying to dial up nav aids in IMC given his experience & predicament, he should be concentrating on executing a rate 1 turn onto a reciprocal heading on his DG and getting the hell out of there, back into VMC asap.


The trick is to not panic. Easier said than done, I know, especially if you've never been in genuine IMC before.


Sunfish - its something along the lines of being 'qualified' to use them as a primary means of navigation. Nothing stopping you from using them to help you confirm your map reading etc. But you'd need a NVFR rating or higher, have those particular aids on your license and be current etc etc...

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

It is incredible that during his dual flying up to the time of this incident, his instructors had not bothered to teach him the basics of using a VOR or even the ADF to fix his position.

Huh?

Dr :8

[On Track]

I was taught to use the ADF, VOR and DME in the very early days of PPL cross-country training. (There was no GPS in those days - or at least I'd never seen one.)

All that knowledge was of great benefit a year or two later when I had to divert in deteriorating weather and became uncertain of my position. Using a VOR to obtain a bearing and then tracking on that VOR to a safe landing proved the value of being able to use all the equipment on the aircraft even though it was a VFR flight. Having a current NVFR rating was also useful in the event.

A few years ago I was stunned to discover that most of my Kiwi CPL friends had no understanding of navaids because "you don't learn that stuff until you do an instrument rating"!

[Arnold E]

Do you blokes really think it is a good idea for a low hours VFR pilot to have his eyes off his A/H and DG and be doing maths in his head, or worse, on paper when he has inadvertently flown into cloud.????? Really?????

[Ixixly]

Arnold E, it could be extremely useful when they enter into IMC and become unsure of their position, or do you suggest they just keep poking around and hope for the best?

I don't usually need much maths when I used an ADF or VOR, there is certainly very little involved when it comes when using one to ascertain your position or when using one to track direct to the Aid.

[Squawk7700]

In this particular instance, the pilot was probably far better off getting directions and assurances from ATC rather than trying to work out VOR's and maps in IMC. If ATC wasn't available... different scenario completely.

[Godot64]

Seems an excellent result, in the circumstances. I was instructed in how to use all the navaids in the aircraft as a matter of course during my PPL navigation training, but perhaps the transition to GNSS makes the ADF/VOR/DME navaids less relevant. Regardless, though, keeping the VFR pilot calm and getting him safely out of cloud is far more important than whether he would have been able to fly an intercept and perhaps find his own way out.

[kaz3g]

What Squarky said...what about just looking at the DI in the six pack instead of dying while trying to fiddle a knob on the VOR?

Kaz

[Lead Balloon]

+2.

Fiddling with the VOR would seem to me to be focussing on navigating when one's life depended on aviating.

[Centaurus]

quoteI'm not sure how being able to use a VOR would have helped the pilot in this case.
Fiddling with the VOR would seem to me to be focussing on navigating when one's life depended on aviating.
In this particular instance, the pilot was probably far better off getting directions and assurances from ATC rather than trying to work out VOR's and maps in IMC
Agree. But from reading the Op's comments, there was no mention he was advocating the pilot concerned should have attempted to fix his position by navaids while in IMC.

I took the remarks as pointing out the pilot must have undergone quite a few dual and solo VFR cross-country using map reading techniques, as part of his PPL qualification. Yet according to ATSB, he had been given no training in basic operation of a VOR even though many training aircraft come equipped with a VOR and ADF.

[AbsoluteFokker]

In benign non-VMC without nearby ground terrain, pilots should be trained to push forwards, let go of everything else and trim for a 500 fpm descent whilst communicating with ATC.

If a basic autopilot (wing leveller) is installed AND was pre-flighted, use that too. Preferably if it has a heading bug, spin that around to the non-cloud zone too.

It aint hard.

I was taught rate-one turns under the hood in a PPL many many years ago. This is a non-event and cudos to the pilot for contacting ATC when it didn't quite turn out right.

Forget the VOR - that's like plotting graph lines on your obituary. Just fly.

[Styx75]

Id think that poorly using the vor/ndb would be more of a hazard then not using it at all, as would be the case in a navaid 'crash course'. NVFR (or cir for those inclined) seems the appropriate time to get up to speed on them.

Interestingly, I was told there is now no endorsement required for using navaids. So any pilot can use them at any time for navigation. Have yet to verify that for myself...

[On Track]

Obviously if a VFR pilot finds himself in IMC his/her priority should be to do a 180-degree rate-one level turn on instruments and get back into VMC. You don't need navaids for that. The case in question seems unusual in that the pilot actually entered cloud while doing the 180-degree turn.

My comments about navaids related to the fact that the pilot already had a PPL, was training for a CPL, and still hadn't been taught the basics of the ADF or VOR. Like the OP, I find that remarkable.

When I did my CPL flight test the examiner told me to use all the navaids at my disposal as I saw fit, "as you would in real life."

[Homesick-Angel]

I think the result is about as good as could be hoped for in this case. Inad IMC back to VMC and home he/she went..

Not a hole in the ground, which has been the case too many times.

The teaching methods really haven't changed a lot over the time, but it's a lucky dip as to the quality of your instructor.. This has probably always been the case despite the romantics views of the past.

As for using the aids? Definitely NOT at that particular time. The pilot did the right thing. Maintain control, ask for help. It can be pretty confusing in cloud at any time if you're not ready, but at night my guess is you have a slightly better chance due to the greater use of instruments generally. (Circuit, en route in overcast conditions away from well lit areas.)

Basic use of the navaids should be taught more. It's not hard and offers extra SA if used correctly.

Well done that pilot I say. 75 hours is bugger all..

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Does anyone fly these days without carrying at least a portable/handheld GPS?

Other than for IR renewals, I haven't tracked on a VOR or ADF for at least 10 years.

In the 43 years I have been flying, GPS is the greatest innovation/advance to appear in that time.

As a non-IR PPL who has blunded into IMC I reckon that last thing you want to be doing is fiddling around looking for VOR/ADF frequencies and dialling them up - just do the 180 and follow the magenta line back the way you came, or climb in a safe direction to a safe height and ask for help!

Dr :8

[ACMS]

TAU is equipped with a Garmin GNS430 that he would have been fairly familiar with to the point of knowing how to program a direct to......
However his first priority was to keep the blue side up.......which he did.

Good outcome I'd say...

[Supermouse3]

or don't get into cloud in the first place, that's what clearing your turns are for.
there is no excuse for entering cloud.

But i do agree, learn how to use a VOR/ADF or TSO'd GPS...
unsure how many flying schools approve of there use in NAV training, but its a pretty invaluable tool!

[Squawk7700]

However his first priority was to keep the blue side up

"Blue side up" on TAU ??? I hope you're talking about the blue sky or AH ;)

http://members.iinet.net.au/~bc75/tau.jpg

[Delta_Foxtrot]

I think some of us are missing the basic point here: this was a VFR NAVEX being flown by a PPL without an instrument rating.




Forget the crap about NAVAIDs/GPS/GNSS etc and how you can and who can use them. This is a VMC flight into IMC. The real issue for the PIC is recognising that he/she is about to enter IMC.



The root cause (imho) is the apparent lack of a plausible explanation and/or demonstration of what VMC really means and what near-to-IMC looks like. If you don't show the student what getting close to the edge of VMC looks like, you have no right sending that student off on a solo NAVEX where there is ANY possibility of the student getting close to that big decision in light of the forecast weather. If flying training organisations are not TEACHING this concept, then they are failing their duty.



I read the ATSB report this afternoon and, for once, was happy with the outcome. Kudos to the ATC guy/girl as it was very evident to me that the calm and professional handling from the ground was a major contribution to the successful outcome.







My bottom line? Lets teach the proper basics. We'll save more lives that way.

[Sunfish]

what DF said.