Have you ever failed a checkride?

[PitotTube]

Please enter if you ever failed a checkride. If you have, please also tell us your story about it.

thanks,
pt

[A-V-8R]

Well yes, once.

I said "****" once during a F-27 type rating ride when I couldn't locate an approach chart.

The FAA's inspectors name was Gary Clark, of the Boston Air Carrier Office. He failed my for "Jocularity in the cockpit."

No ****, it really happened.

I have types in seven airplanes, rated in helicopters, seaplanes and gliders, and never have failed any other ride in 29,000/34 years of flying.

The second ride was a non event, as the first should have been.

[AA717driver]

I busted my DC9 Capt's. check because I didn't arrive at the descent point on altitude within 3 miles(I got down too early). I thought it was better to be safe and legal for the first few months after checking out.

There was a fuel price increase and the checkers were apes**t about saving gas. I guess getting down 5 miles early wasted too much gas.TC

[yotter]

May I comment on AA717's post. Be honest, did you really fail your check for the reason you give - i.e. descending too early? I would have thought this would be a discussion item for the debrief, and unlikely to affect your grade - certainly not a fail point.
Sometimes the overall level is below fleet standard and a lot of debriefing is necessary - I try to keep to a maximum of three 'bullet points', say too much and the 'victim' will not get anything from the exercise.
Lastly, the bulk of checks go well, everyone is happy, and we all go off to the bar.In the rare event that the check goes badly, I honestly feel as bad as the victims, because I know they can do better. We all try to do our job as well as we can, but sometimes even helpful criticism can be misunderstood, Amazingly enough, the few failures I have seen often followed a rushed ( high energy) approach - so I wouldn't have a problem with a more leisurely one!
Cheers, Y

[TowerDog]

Yeah, failed a check ride or two, but strangely enough only VFR stuff: Never busted one of the29 sim-checks/recurrents.

50 types of planes, 6 transport type-ratings, 11500 hours.

Toughest one was first jet: DC-8-73 F/O, came straight from the DC-3s. I was a busy guy in that sim....:D

Had a looong capts check on the B747-200, 3 hours in the box, went well, but again I was busy, and the beer tasted really good that evening...:D

[neil armstrong]

Yep but only once.
If the box say's dont operate heavy equipment when taking this medication, they also mean sim's.
I failed but didnt care(spaced out), passed the next day.
I have never taken pain pill's again.
:)

Neil

[WX Man]

I should have had to remove the undercarriage from an examiner's *rse on my ME checkout two years ago- but because the rest of flight was damn near perfect (if I say so myself!) he let me get away with it.

BTW, I know he PPRuNes... are you reading this, Mr Examiner? How's life treating you at TWA? Florida hot enough for you at the moment?

[BlueEagle]

Bit early to be asking, if you ask me, that is unless you have completed your flying career. Those that are answering 'never' may need to reconsider in a few years time!;)

Got a 'partial' on my first CAA initial IR, had to do the NDB again, where do I vote?

[AeroBoero]

Still have a lot in front of me (hopefully), but the ones I did so far were ok. On my first ME check tough - I passed but the examiner made sure I felt terrible and made me know how bad I was and that I should have knied down and thanked him. But why did he pass me then - if I was sooo bad? Wonder till today. That was my only check ride that I got home not a bit happy - actually wanting to shoot my self.....but then again the next day got that beer and moved on. Maybe we should open a thread "Check-Ride from hell"?

[AA717driver]

yotter--Yes, that's it. First day went great. We went out for dinner and beverages had a great time. Second day he ragged me on the first descent. Second leg was a cluster(wrong time to misunderstand a clearance). I got a discretionary descent and I understood it to be a hard descent. Yes, I should have questioned the clearance but I read it back as I understood it. It was legal and it was safe. S**t happens but that was exactly the wrong time--he was so pissed he wouldn't even talk to me. The third leg, I nailed it--but I used the boards, so he said I still didn't plan it right.

The Chief Pilot and Fleet Manager met with me before my retraining flight(two day trip, four legs). They said they backed the checker's decision 100%--"but if that was your only problem, you'll do fine."

The poor instructor who took me out for another line training trip made the mistake of telling me that I could back my descents off a little--"you don't HAVE to get down that early". Man! Did I give him an ear full! It was good natured and he understood but the point was made for both of us.

I then went out with the checker with the toughest reputation in the fleet.

He flew the last leg back to the domicile--after asking my permission as Captain... Midway through the second day, he was kind of looking at me like "why am I here".TC

[RadarContact]

All I can say is not yet...

But still way to go till retirement :)

[Skyking]

Well . was training in Australia , got thru my PPL fine , on the first CPL check was very nervous as the instructor had just taken the test of another pilot from our school before , but he has passed.The weather was not good , should have gone around the rain shower , but i thought I had required visibilty as per VFR rules.He did not think so , so there was kaput.
Next was my IFR ride , busted my NDB , MDA by 100 feet , the instructor did not notice , but went I was a lile rough with the controls getting back , she took notice as I was climbing back , so had to do the NBD again . Learnt alot from both mistakes though.Never had made the same again.
I finally got my first job on a be40 , the sims and the check ride in the sims went well , no hassels . but had to prepare hard for it . The check ride back home in the plane , well was **** loads faster as my capt was used to working at a much faster speed , this being a corporate jet and all.But now I am comife with the speed and I am also in tune with what exactly should happen on each check . I realised in the sim that , u tend to take it easy , this being my first sim , but learnt that the sim and the aricraft are one and the same , the react the same too , so that settled it.

Regards
Skyking

[Pinky95]

passed the first one today, cpl vfr se :-) Well i guess i'll get plenty of more opportunities to fail one (hope not!)

[gizbug]

I failed my Private. The examiner was unhappy with my "engine out" in the pattern. He told me that I should never use flaps with an engine out emergency landing. Although I had the runway made, and turn final, before dumping my flaps, he claim's this wasn't a good decision, and failed me =(

You live, You learn ;)

[spittingimage]

I failed my FAA I/R checkride.

Bundle of nerves, I refused a clearance to hold at some mythical point away from the airfield (well - it was MY test and I was damned if I was going to have ATC make it more difficult for me !) then screwed up the NDB approach that followed. 'Where are we going ?' was the examiner's memorable confirmation of my ineptitude.

Passed next week; piece of cake.

[RLM]

I failed my FAA IR checkride last week. Didn't even make it through the oral. Knew more or less "everything" until I met the examiner. Nothing bad about the examiner, I just went blank in the first hour. :(
Did my planning and all of a sudden I was fluent again. But 5 minutes in the second half he said, "this is very good, how do you think the first half went?" :ouch:
Tomorrow it's checkride day again:confused: