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 was flying with my student in a Cessna 172 at ZZZ. We were conducting training touch and goes for about an hour.
A solo student in a Piper PA-28 (Aircraft Y) was conducting her solo behind me in sequence.
My student made a touch and go on Runway XX. On the go, Tower instructed us to fly runway heading. On the climb-out, my student asked me to take the controls so I became pilot flying. Tower instructed me to make left traffic, so I turned left crosswind at pattern altitude.
Aircraft Y took off behind me, Tower instructed her to fly runway heading. Upon reaching pattern altitude on climbout, Aircraft Y made left traffic despite being told to fly runway heading.
Aircraft Y cut me off in the pattern while I was on downwind. I believe we missed hitting each other by about 500 feet horizontally. We were both at pattern altitude.
I noticed this and began a right 360 for spacing. As I started this maneuver, Tower instructed me to make a right 360.
I’m not sure Aircraft Y realized their mistake at this time.
Once I completed my 360 I rejoined the left downwind behind Aircraft Y and gave the controls back to my student.
Aircraft Y was cleared to land first on Runway XX, then I was cleared for the option #2 to follow Aircraft Y.
As my student turned final I noticed that Aircraft Y was not aligned with centerline on final. I was wondering why she wasn’t making a go around, I thought she was still flying. Then I noticed she was stationary.
As I’m realizing this, I hear Tower ask Aircraft Y if she’s okay, to which she replies that she is okay but she is in the grass. Tower instructs us to go around, to which my student flying complies.
I noticed the student came very close to hitting the ILS building to the left of Runway XX.
I think this situation could have been avoided if the solo student had more training.
The wind was 190 at 5 knots, we were using Runway XX, perhaps the student overestimated the wind correction and veered off to the left side of the runway.
I think that Tower should have also told the solo student the reason why she had to fly runway heading (she had to fly runway heading to follow me in the pattern).
Overall I think Tower and Ground handled the situation professionally.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2020917
ATC does need to do better by using standard phraseology and issuing reasons for instructions when prudent. ATC should have said “Extend upwind, follow traffic straight ahead”. “Fly runway heading” is actually an incorrect call for a VFR aircraft.
It isn’t “upwind”; that’s the rarely-used; eg off to the side. Departing traffic flies up the … departure leg.
But “fly straight ahead until I call your crosswind” certainly would be unambiguous” :-/
Is this CFI worried about the Cessna’s role in the incident? I’m not sure why an ASRS report was filed, unless it was for its five-year “get out of jail free” value (just in case), rather than a way to highlight useful lessons learned.
I agree with “PD”: Since we have no idea what was going on in the other cockpit, maybe getting in touch with the Piper pilot, and/or her CFI, to find out EXACTLY what happened, would’ve been more instructive.
I wonder if her CFI told her to file an ASRS report?
As far as the text goes; cutting out “details” like the airport and runway(s) does limit their value. But as noted at the beginning the article:
“….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.”
Sometimes this “scrubbing” includes edits that can change the context significantly, giving the reader the wrong impression of what really happened.
For example, these reports will often (always?) state that the incident pilot “requested priority handling”, when they actually “declared an emergency”.
They are not the same thing; I wouldn’t want a student pilot reading these to get confused.
Remember the TV series “Three Stooges?” How about “Who’s on First?” These pilots cheated the Grim Reaper by sheer dumb luck and the watchful eye of the Good Lord. Good Lord! Beyond pathetic.
Regards/J
More training is pretty obvious. The issue is a CFI turning her loose unprepared.
Had the same with my girlfriend. Instructor said she could solo, I said no. If anything went differently, a 360, extended downwind, fly runway heading, she would have killed herself. Subsequently we went on a little trip. Returning I gave her the plane 20 miles out going home. ATC gave her a straight in for 27L..I took the plane back at 1200 RPM,100 ft AGL, still descending, 3 miles from the runway, and yet to reach for the throttle.
We learn from our mistakes and w also learn from the mistakes of others, and in turn others learn from our mistakes… you’re a good pilot if you can admit this.
Airport xx seems to have a lot of problems.
An X on the runway means it is closed. XX .just means it is really closed.
*rofl*
Remind me never to fly there! 🙂
Why do you give us the wind direction, but refer to the runway as “XX?” The reader cannot determine if said student was landing on runway 19 or 25 or whatever. What crosswind?
Jeez. If ASRS is used to report every student pilot screw up, I’m not sure it’s useful. I didn’t learn anything from this except recall that it can be tough when you’re a student. It has been 40 years and I still remember my student day scewups and how the tower controllers would get with me during or afterwards and help me out with patience. Seems this instructor would have been better suited to find and talk to that student rather than write up an ASRS.
Agree. The filed report doesn’t mean nothing specifically for the sake of aviation precautions in traffic patterns or for the correct behavior of pilots or students or even instructors that though that a particular learner was aptly qualified for a solo take off and go. So, in conclusion, it was a useless file.