NDB Approaches
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,157
Likes: 97
From: Up The 116E, Stbd Turn at 32S...:-)
Back - In - The - Day........... Imagine....
Pingelly NDB, WA Wheatbelt, En route Navaid, Approx 67nm YPPH, Ident 'PGL'
- (That's 'dit-dah-dah-dit, dah-dah-dit, dit-dah-dit-dit.')
Parkerville NDB, WA Hills District, 'Locator', Approx 10nm YPPH, Ident 'PRL'
- (That's 'dit-dah-dah-dit, dit-dah-dit, dit-dah-dit-dit'.)
Spot the diff...??
Nah, neither did a '727' into YPPH one dark night, (and stormy?) when he inadvertently commenced let-down a 'bit' early, below LSALT on 'PGL', thinkin' it wuz 'PRL'.....
He wuz still some 60 +nm out from PH, and 'lost' VHF comms with PH APP, he wuz 'that' low......'We' were asked to try and SELCAL him on HF...
Can't remember the exact year, but 'someone' might......T'was a 'freighter' I think.
'PGL' Very quickly changed to 'PIY'....much more betterer....
Pingelly NDB, WA Wheatbelt, En route Navaid, Approx 67nm YPPH, Ident 'PGL'
- (That's 'dit-dah-dah-dit, dah-dah-dit, dit-dah-dit-dit.')
Parkerville NDB, WA Hills District, 'Locator', Approx 10nm YPPH, Ident 'PRL'
- (That's 'dit-dah-dah-dit, dit-dah-dit, dit-dah-dit-dit'.)
Spot the diff...??
Nah, neither did a '727' into YPPH one dark night, (and stormy?) when he inadvertently commenced let-down a 'bit' early, below LSALT on 'PGL', thinkin' it wuz 'PRL'.....
He wuz still some 60 +nm out from PH, and 'lost' VHF comms with PH APP, he wuz 'that' low......'We' were asked to try and SELCAL him on HF...
Can't remember the exact year, but 'someone' might......T'was a 'freighter' I think.
'PGL' Very quickly changed to 'PIY'....much more betterer....
Last edited by Ex FSO GRIFFO; 12th December 2024 at 10:09.
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,157
Likes: 97
From: Up The 116E, Stbd Turn at 32S...:-)
G'Day Capt.,
I cannot remember Pingelly having a DME.
Freq. 233 for the NDB rings a bell....
At such proximity to PH, I would have thought the PH DME would have been the most suitable..?
Anyway....Cheers
I cannot remember Pingelly having a DME.
Freq. 233 for the NDB rings a bell....
At such proximity to PH, I would have thought the PH DME would have been the most suitable..?
Anyway....Cheers
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 478
Likes: 87
From: Aust
I recall the C206 doing the Coonamble NDB approach at Coonabarabran on one dark rainy night, must have been nearly 50 years ago now. RIP.
Demonstrated the importance of monitoring the idents although they were very similar.
Demonstrated the importance of monitoring the idents although they were very similar.
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 399
Likes: 65
From: Abeam YAYE
Swiss Cheese
C182, VH-UDM, 1978
What doesn’t come out in the accident report is the similarity of the two NDB identifiers, and the potential to easily confuse the Morse Code.
Coonabarabran NDB was identified CBB -.-. -... -...
At the time Coonamble NDB was identified CNB -.-. -. -...
The Morse CBB compared to CNB is very similar and easy to confuse, especially with a weak signal or static noise. (See above).
After the accident, the identifier for Coonamble was changed to CNM -.-. -. --
(Not in the report, but rumour was…. talk that the frequencies on the fairly modern (at the time) analogue tuners in those Cessna/arc ADF sets could be an issue with paralex - CBB 200 | CNB 206)
Accident report, VH-UDM 1978
Last edited by pithblot; 14th December 2024 at 05:28. Reason: Added a link to the report
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 642
Likes: 203
From: Brisbane
A good friend. The main problem was the weather, a coffee grinder ADF set and similar frequencies as mentioned. With no DME and darkness a very bad set up. The NDB had its limitations around TS activity. The only thing worse was a VAR on the aural leg.
