Starting in July, we will alternate NTSB Accident Reports with excerpts from reports to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. Here is the first of the ASRS Reports:
This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, some details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
Let me say to begin I am not familiar with Flight Check. By this I mean I never came across it in any of my FAA materials or non-FAA reading, online, or video materials. It was not on any of my private, instrument, or commercial FAA exams. It was never brought up to me on any flight checks or check rides. I have never seen anything written about it in any online materials. No CFI or CFII ever mentioned it to me. I have never seen Flight Check aircraft at my home airport or any other airport I’ve ever flown into.
Yesterday I experienced a conflict with a Flight Check King Air aircraft. Just after I made my routine call for my pattern entry “…6 miles to the northeast inbound for a left downwind…”, a Flight Check aircraft made the call they were on an approach to the same runway as me and that they would need to drive inbound on the final until just short of the approach end for an obstacle check. We’re looking for inbound traffic. Other calls by various aircraft, as well as Flight Check and my aircraft, were made. One of the flight check calls was stepped on however and was therefore not audible. What is important to note, too, is that there was an aircraft two to three miles behind me following me in.
Because Flight Check and I were on an entry for the same runway in opposite directions I felt the situation was beginning to become dangerous. I considered doing a 360 turn at six miles out just to give spacing to the Flight Check aircraft coming in from the wrong direction. However, I did not do this because there was an aircraft directly behind me and I felt a 360 might put me into him. Therefore, for safety reasons I decided against it.
I felt the safest course of action was to proceed on because I felt a King Air at six miles out was going to arrive much sooner than I was at six miles out in my PA-28 because of his faster speed and because he was doing a straight in and I was doing a standard approach. Additionally, he said he was not going to land but instead “break off just short of the approach end…”
Lastly, he said he was “looking for inbound aircraft” which I felt meant he was aware of me and would divert if needed.
I also briefly considered the option of extending my downwind, but felt that to be unsafe because other aircraft were in the area and I had lost track of exactly where everybody was due to the constant traffic chatter both for ZZZ and other nearby airports. It was becoming stressful and my goal was to fly the aircraft, look out the window, and either land or see and avoid this other aircraft.
As our approaches proceeded and I turned final I could see an oncoming aircraft above me ascending and turning south as I was descending to land. As I was about 50 feet off the runway I received a tongue lashing from the Flight Check aircraft and my landing was hard and it took several moments for me to calm myself after parking. Only after going into the Fixed Base Operator and asking about what a Flight Check aircraft was did I understand what had just happened.
I now understand, after I did my own investigation, what Flight Check is and what I should do if I encounter a Flight Check aircraft in the future. I will now avoid Flight Check if I ever encounter one. I will advise other pilots of what Flight Check is and to avoid them.
What caused the problem and what can be done to prevent a recurrence or correct the problem: The problem was caused by me not knowing what Flight Check is and that they have the authority to fly wherever they want and however they want. I will stay away from all Flight Check aircraft in the future.
Flight Checks should be included in NOTAMS. I checked NOTAMS prior to my departure and there existed no such NOTAM regarding Flight Check aircraft that day. ATC, such as Approach did not advise me of any Flight Check aircraft.
Flight Check pilots should include such wording as, “This is the Federal Aviation Administration advising all aircraft to avoid (airport name) until (time).” This should be repeated over the appropriate frequency every 1 to 2 minutes until Flight Check is clear of the area.
Include Flight Check information in FAA teaching materials. Include Flight Check information in FAA testing materials. Flight Check pilots should avoid berating pilots on frequency especially just prior to them landing as this can cause an unsafe distraction.
Primary Problem as determined by ASRS analyst: Human Factors.
Unfortunately this is typical of the approach to a situation that some FAA persons take. We have first call on everything that flies and don’t you forget it. Seems their flight personnel think they are better than us private type pilots, which entitles them to priority. Thankfully this does not apply to ATC folks who are almost universally helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. Even had a controller tell me “that was a picture book landing” after a strong crosswind approach and landing. Made my chest about 4 inches larger.
Key point to the ASRS report is the reporting pilot decided to proceed when the FC pilot had already made his intentions quite clear. To me, when there is uncertainty about another aircraft’s intentions it’s time to break off, and clear the pattern. The ASRS pilot explained very clearly why he decided to race another aircraft to the runway. He didn’t explain very well why he elected not to leave the pattern, which mitigates the aircraft on his tail and remove the uncertainty over what the ubknown meaning of ‘flight check’ might do.
Surprising to me that Flight Check is such a well-kept secret. Somebody didn’t get his money’s worth in primary flight training! Who among us is so blinkin’ self-important that we can’t break off or extend our approach to let these guys do their very technical job? Just give way, OK? The faster they can get the approach system verifications done, the sooner they’ll be out of your way, and the better -and safer- it is for all of us.
This is the first I have ever heard of flight check and I am a one year ppl flyer. This is something that SHOULD be taught but is not. Lucky for me, I am always reading and trying to be a better pilot. Like Jason with MzeroA flight training says “ A good pilot is always learning “!
When FC aircraft operate at towered airports they are given priority to do their checks. Most time it works out.
Non towered is a different story as these approaches still must be checked for the good of us all. If anyone hears a FC aircraft operating, give them the right of way. They are doing a job to make sure our instrument approaches are functioning properly.
We used to see them more often in the past. As Jim said, they are generally fairly chatty. If you’re ever in doubt as to their location or intentions, just ask them to clarify. They’re usually pretty nice guys.
Back when they flew those old DC-3s they were easier to spot so easy to avoid. The idea of NOTAMing a flight check operation is good and might be of more use today than 50 years ago what with electronic updates happening much more than the old find-a-phone solution.
Most of the flight check birds I encountered were reasonably chatty so you could get a really good idea of what they were doing and where they were. This may have changed – us old guys do have to retire occasionally and not all of our tricks are seen as valuable.
I don’t think I ever heard a flight check aircrew chew anyone out or get short with others. Again, us old guys had to retire…
I am a fairly new Sport Pilot , 2 yrs now and all my training , study material and airport banter I as well have never heard of flight check. Why are they not “advertising” teaching etc. etc. to make this known ESPECIALLY if its for the sake of safety ?
aircraft on final has row flightcheck has no prioity
at a towered airport w radar its on them
wo radar they coord but both pilots follow vfr rule
non towered they r on their iwn
Flight check aircraft monitor and verify all instrument approaches, intersections, VOR & GPS geographic positions. They also verify communication coverage and overlap.
ATC CENTERS know where FC is operating. Uncontrolled airports with IFR approaches must be checked.
From IAP arcs , radials, radar coverage , terrain and obstacles.
FC also goes at accident areas to verify if ground or satellite was a factor.
Yet another fine example of “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.” Flight Check may be performing valuable services in the interest of safety, but if an apparently highly experienced and informed GA pilot never heard of FC, then FC doesn’t advertise its services sufficiently to promote awareness of their services.
It’s not like the Government is in need of extra workers to make phone calls to ATC to give approximate time and dates for, “Flight Check”, when they finally arrive to do their thing. That way they won’t appear as NAZI’S forcing aircraft to alter their flight path whenever they arrive to check vor radials, localizer and glide path indications to make sure all indications fall within proper parameters. Remember they do this in the interest of flight safety. So the pilot community should also do their part in the interest of flight safety by asking all pertinent questions related to Safety of flight. I’ve encountered Flight Check before while flying VFR with no problems whatsoever, but I gave them a wide birth for a few minutes to do their thing.
Hey Mike,
Oddly enough we do brief air traffic on where we are going to be, especially at major airports. Small non-towered like described in this article are harder to do. Opposite direction is an unfortunate necessity since we inspect every SIAP approximately annually for obstacles. Consider that each airport has probably 4-5 procedures (RNAV, ILS, VOR, etc…) we spend a lot of time in patterns looking for things you don’t want to hit.
We ask for cooperation but we never demand priority. Because of the nature of what we are doing, at times we may ask for some help (breaking off approach etc…) but I’ve never heard a crew demand it. In this story, I think a little more communication would have solved whatever concerns the reporting pilot had.
Opinions are my own of course… Cheers
I also had never heard of a FAA Flight Check. Today I heard a turboprop fly low over work and looked on ADSBExchange to see what is was. Incredibly, it was an FAA King Air, N72, doing a flight check at KCMA. Its call sign was FLC72. What a coincidence. Thanks for the article explaining this. My son, who is working on his PPL, had heard of FAA Flight Checks. But he is an A&P who has been hanging around the airport since he was 15.