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, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
I’m a new private pilot and was returning home after numerous weather delays.
As I made my calls on the CTAF, I could hear one other plane doing laps in the pattern. I noted what runway he was using, realized there would be plenty of spacing between me and him, and announced that I’d be making a straight-in approach.
On final, at about 400 feet AGL, I saw him pass almost directly above me, 400-500 feet higher than me, climbing out.
I realized I was approaching from the wrong direction and flew away from the pattern before rejoining it and landing the correct direction.
Early in my training I often mixed up the two ends of the same runway. I don’t know why. I practiced runway directions a lot and got comfortable with the numbering system.
However, in a moment when I was eager to get home and wanted to make a simple, straight-in approach, I reverted to an old habit and reversed the runway numbers.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2007916
Mid 1990s, Grandfield, OK muni field, Cessna 182 skydiving plane…I’m seated behind pilot facing aft, last jumper out…first flight of the day, taxi to runway end, turn around and hold, engine run up & instruments check…jump master/plane owner (seated facing aft with back to dashboard) calls “everybody ready?”. Our SOP was to give thumb up or loudly SHOUT 👎 NO… If all gave thumbs up we released brakes and begin take off roll…I was the NO as there was a plane doing a straight in final right over us at 20 ft agl…couldn’t see us as we were under his nose… had I been looking anywhere else but out the rear window at that moment…????
Yes, a crosscheck between actual heading and the published runway bearing while on Final Approach is an excellent SOP. If the two don’t agree, it may also be an indication that you are approaching the wrong AIRPORT!
It happens many times, and not just when the numbers are verbal reciprocals like 02 and 20. Yesterday I departed KGXY (non-towered, relatively busy yesterday although not always) but left my radio on the CTAF. I kept hearing several pilots, presumably students from their “radio-ese” misstate what runway they were using. KGXY has 17-35 and 10-28, so they don’t sound the same at all. The wind was splitting 17 and 10. Yet several pilots using 17 were stating that they were using 35 and had to be corrected by others, and at least one pilot using 10 said she was using 28 until someone corrected her.
This happens so often that I sometimes wonder if newbie pilots do not understand the relationship between the runway numbers and magnetic headings. Every airplane has a compass, and almost every airplane has a directional gyro, both of which display magnetic headings.Runway numbers aren’t arbitrary—they’re based on magnetic headings, dropping the final zero. If the compass and DG say, for example, “17” or “170”, then on final the runway should be 17. Seems sort of basic to me, but apparently that escapes a large part of the pilot population.
Almost caused an accident because you were in a hurry?
I will do a straight in to my home airport runway, ONLY if there is no other traffic, for the practice.
A number of towered airports here in Northern California will give a straight in approach if there is little traffic. So it’s good to practice; knowing when to slow, start descending, and when to add flaps , all without the aid of the pattern turns.
A lesson learned is a glass house without rocks which have no moss.
Always remember your runway heading on landing is also your magnetic heading, and when downwind it should be on the bottom of your heading indicator. Both of those checks would help.. though perhaps neither are early enough. I agree that a straight in is only ok on a MF, is that where you were? You should be joining upwind or downwind only otherwise.
Maybe he has lysdexia.
This is a more common mistake than I think many realize. Like others here, I make sure the heading I am flying, the wind (from direction) and the runway numbers all match (at least within proximity of matching). If they don’t you have a cross wind or are on the wrong runway. When you get ATIS, ASOS…… before landing, make sure those three match up.
If making an instrument approach the approach counts if you get to. FAF which might be 3 to 5 mile final.
You don’t need to be on instruments to D.H.
Yes you do. For a practice approach in VFR conditions to count you must leave the view limiting device on all the way down to either the Minimum Descent Altitude or Decision Height, whichever is appropriate to the type of approach.
Jim is correct if you have to deviate for safety reasons. See footnote 6 in InFO15012 Logging Instrument Approach Procedures (IAP) – “6 During simulated instrument flight in an aircraft, it may be necessary to deviate from the final approach segment for safety reasons (e.g., in order to avoid traffic or other hazards). In these cases, the pilot may still log the IAP, provided the aircraft has passed the final approach fix (FAF).”
https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/InFO15012.pdf
We all make mistakes, even real disastrous ones. We ‘just’ have to find ways to counter our weaknesses. In this case perhaps draw the pattern upfront with clearly which way which runway numbers. Whatever works…
Our runway at Birchwood is 20 and 02, and not unusual to have someone get confused which direction the current pattern is flying or verbally misspeak “Landing 20R, ah I mean 02R” or another pilot has to say “Do you mean 02R?” (other pilot: “Oops, yes 02R”) happens more often than you would think.
Assume we’re talking about PABV near Anchorage.
Here’s an idea:
Just use whatever is painted on the runway…don’t add a “0” when the only number painted on the pavement is “2”.
David Baldwin. Same runway orientation as where I’m based and one day I heard someone announcing three numbers (i.e. 020). An instructor on the ground quickly got on the radio and said please don’t do that – can be confused with 200 for runway 20. I don’t know if it’s written somewhere, but I think the best way is to stick with exactly what is painted on the runway, which is also what is printed on the DG – runway 2, or 20. That also matches what is on the sectional for a right pattern (see RP 4 at K09), and matches the runway numbers printed on approach plates. However, the Chart Supplement has 02 and 20 – can’t have it all I guess.
Who taught you that a straight in approach to landing at a non-towered airport was acceptable?!? Better do a review of your FAR AIM regs. Lucky you and the other pilot survived. Arrogance in the air is a recipe for disaster. Pilots like you are dangerous!
So right You’re m, Mr. Jim Naughton. That pilot is, indeed a dangerous pilot.
Both the AIM and AC 90-66C, Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations, indicate straight-in approaches are an option. And there are no regs which govern the pattern entry – only the flow.
From AC 90-66C, dated June 6th, 2023 (6/6/23)
9.2 Fly the Standard Traffic Pattern. Arriving aircraft should enter the airport’s traffic pattern at traffic pattern altitude and avoid straight-in approaches for landing to mitigate the risk of a midair collision.
9.11.1 Straight-In Landings. The FAA discourages VFR straight-in approaches to landings due to increased risk of a midair collision. However, if a pilot chooses to execute a straight-in approach for landing without entering the airport traffic pattern, the pilot should self-announce their position on the designated CTAF between 8 and approximately
10 miles from the airport, and coordinate their straight-in approach and landing with other airport traffic. Pilots choosing to execute a straight-in approach do not have a particular priority over other aircraft in the traffic pattern and must comply with the provisions of § 91.113(g).
AC 90-66C:
8.2.1. Further, to mitigate the risk of a midair collision at a non-towered airport in other than instrument conditions, the FAA does not recommend that the pilot execute a straight-in approach for landing, when there are other aircraft in the traffic pattern. The straight-in approach may cause a conflict with aircraft in the traffic pattern and on base to final and increase the risk of a midair collision.
It says AVOID. It does not say prohibited or do not do it….Big Big Big difference.
AC 90-66C
8.2.1.1 ——— An aircraft in the traffic pattern of an airport is considered an aircraft approaching to land at the airport
There is no regulation prohibiting straight-in approaches at non-towered airports.
Straight in final in uncontrolled airspace is the problem.Theres a traffic pattern for a reason use it.
If not so equipped a vertical card compass helps visualize bearings.
Entering the pattern as suggested is not a cure all and would only flying the pattern in the wrong direction.
I also notice in these articles, right or wrong…they usually involve people doing laps in the pattern.
Well, that should be a dramatic enough experience for the writer to hopefully not ever get confused again. Getting turned around in that matter is not too unusual. Other pilots need to be on the alert for that just as when a pilot announces intentions to enter a left or right pattern but in reality it’s the wrong pattern. Hopefully the other pilot realizes the error and alerts the mistaken pilot.
Would not have been an issue if you had entered the traffic pattern correctly instead of risking your life and others in order to save five minutes.
Depends – unfortunately he was turned around and had his runways backwards, so even if he had entered on the 45 to the downwind, it may have been to the wrong runway and still resulted in a conflict with the departing aircraft. He sounds like a conscientious pilot – just made a mistake with orientation to the runway. That’s an important lesson – any pilot can make that type of mistake. There also may be an aircraft in distress (engine problem, fire), not able to communicate, and making a downwind straight-in approach because of the emergency with no other option. Literally, anything can happen, so it’s best to expect the unexpected.
Always verify the DG heading with the runway when doing straight in approach.
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t like doing straight in approaches at an uncontrolled field, even to my home airport. I especially don’t like doing them at night.
Good Morning, I am not certain if this is a human factors issue. Having a map in hand electric or paper, a wet compass and dg should have helped while preparing for a landing would seem to be a standard in your training. If you are somehow easily confused by the roundabout end number, seems like more attention to the items noted above would be compound for verification of the correct runway heading.
As a Private pilot of 32 years, I have also made this mistake, in my case it was ATC changing the standard traffic pattern to what was published and I was used to flying. I realized many years ago I would sometimes mix up the last 4 digits of a phone # that was given to me verbally- just like over a radio. I’ll call it numbers dyslexia. To prevent this rwy error from happening I bring up the rwy on my Foreflight oriented myself and look at what my approach will be from my current position. The other habit is to enter the rwy into my heading bug so when it lines up know I’m on the correct rwy.