Guys, this is obviously not my usual content but it's an interesting (and scary!) story. If you have any pilot or ATC friends please share this with them. Thanks!
Mark, thanks for sharing. First advice: file a NASA report to give you some legal cover. Second, remember that when in autopilot, always, always remain ahead of the plane, knowing what is supposed to happen next, and be ready to do that thing manually at all times. I experienced an autopilot mistake on approach to 25L at Phoenix (KPHX) with parallel arrivals. The autopilot failed to capture the localizer, and in fact turned the wrong way, toward the parallel runway. Because I was closely monitoring and anticipating, I was able to take over and correct it manually. You need to be ready to do that at every point the autopilot has to take action. Simple mental hack: pretend you are an instructor and your autopilot is your student.
I’ve got my instrument, and man it can be so easy to forget to cross check and get complacent with autopilot in your aircraft. Glad to see you were able to recover and make it out of this. It’ll act as a great reminder to cross check and make sure the autopilot is doing what it’s supposed to do.
I like to think about my AP and Nav as a third set of flight controls. YOU are still flying the plane no different than if by hand. When you set or arm a mode you need to stay on the instruments to ensure it’s doing what you expected. You’re right it’s too easy to rely on the AP, set and forget. Very bad habit to fall into. It’s a skill all of its own to operate the airplane solely on AP and Nav.
you were banking in the 180 turn, and in a sustained bank like that you lose altitude . If you're at low altitude that can be dangerous. Or lead to a stall an spin.
Great share. I'm a retired 27-year radar controller from SDF and an instrument-rated pilot. I host the local IMC Club every month and stories like this are what I preach to avoid. I study a lot of NTSB accident reports and the common denominator in most is complacency. It is very insidious. You get really comfortable with something, it gets easy to skip steps. Remember when you first flew with a GPS and Autopilot on a coupled approach, you were probably checking and rechecking that you did everything right. After a while, things get comfortable and we start skipping the rechecking part. I really love my glass cockpit and all of the technology that it brings and it is so easy to enter and go. The great thing about an autopilot is that it frees the pilot up to monitor instead of having to actively center the needles. I won't fly if my autopilot is out and I am planning an IMC or night cross-country flight. I came close to landing at Walterboro once on the way to Charleston a couple of years ago. We were departing Tullahoma TN from the AOPA regional fly-in and I took off VFR because there were 350 other planes there and it was going to get complicated. We thought we could get a pop-up IFR if needed but by the time we needed it, we were way below the MVA and Center couldn't issue an IFR. We ended up landing at Cherokee County GA, filing an IFR flight plan and launching again. We used Walterboro as a destination because there was a nasty front hanging over Charleston and I wasn't about to fly anywhere around those red cells, especially IMC. We managed to get down below the cloud deck at Walterboro, canceled our IFR, and picked our way around the weather to Charleston.
@@Av-vd3wk are you a grammar professional extraordinaire or just another mangy gun grabbing moron that gets their rocks off when someone in our community dies?
Worked in GA back in the 90’s and the seen lots of stuff. One pilot I knew flew out of ECP into cloud coverage commenced a banking turn, went inverted and then he pulled “up” … right into the gulf. He was an experienced pilot that unfortunately trusted his instincts for a few moments more than his instruments. Trust but verify! Be safe out there Mark.
@@9mmthroatpunch211 pulling a blanking turn gives your inner ear a sense of “gravity”” and without a horizon to focus on it easy to become disoriented. That why when your IFR you have to trust your instrument above your instincts.
@@9mmthroatpunch211 Yeah it's an unfortunate result of evolution, we didn't evolve to fly so the way our inner ear works it's physically unable to decipher between certain linear and rotational accelerations. That's also why motion simulators can make you feel like you're actually accelerating
CFIT ... I started flying with a with a NASA test pilot and instructor 50 years ago. These guys seemed arrogant, but, they weren't. They were 100% confident in their abilities. I was kind of humbled by him. We were driving and missed a turn. He asked me why I didn't speak up. I said I thought he knew what he was doing. He said you'll never make it as my co pilot if I don't speak up "Never assume I know what I'm doing!" A lesson learned. Never become complacent, never assume and don't be afraid of asking for help. Two NASA astronauts flew a T38 into the ground and both died. It was pilot era. The NASA pilots were pissed at him. It's bad enough to make a mistake out of arrogance, but, he took someone else with him. When I moved back to New York and joined a flying club and as a student became the go to guy to fly in the right seat. People knew they could count on me 100% ... and if I turned down an opportunity to fly. The owner of the club would take the guy up for a check ride. He knew I saw things I didn't like. Stay vigilant and be safe.
Thanks for sharing your mistakes Mark, as a pilot and gun nut I like to hear this kind of forthrightness. I live in the PNW, and the terrain here could have made a mistake like this far more dire. Hopefully you also filed an ASRS (NASA) report, because as a fellow collector of F agencies they will happily use your honesty against you.
I follow Juan and Dan - mostly to learn about what kinds of mistakes I need to be training for. I'm really glad you caught yourself before something went bad. IMC compounds all the other problems because there's no visual reference. The instruments are the only thing you can reliable go by... and when the autopilot isn't performing as expected... that makes for a very dangerous situation. Glad you made it and shared your experience.
Glad you are still with us! In the process of almost crashing, you and the rest of us will learn some important lessons. Thank you for your humility in admitting the mistakes and I look forward to hearing the next episode after you figure out what actually happened. The value of this kind of content cannot be overstated.
Wow! Thanks for staying off the Blancolirio Channel on this one. That was close...Autopilot vertical mode awareness. Man, the fact you never heard those radio calls from atc is frightening. Thanks for Posting!!.
Juan, thanks very much for the comment! Yeah, my days of thinking that the autopilot has things handled are over. I'm glad that I just got a slightly scary lesson to teach me that I'd become complacent with it...could have been way worse. Agreed on the radio calls!
@@markserbuThat’s not a “slightly scary lesson” that’s a 15 seconds to live and dumb luck that you saved it situation. I’m a 150 hour PPL working on my instrument rating and yeah, this will stick with me. I too am so happy to hear this story from you rather than seeing it on Juan’s channel. We would never have known the real reason if you CFIT, after the post fire crash it would probably have been attributed to a likely medical issue. I had my own recent dumb luck how am I still alive moment caught on camera last month, working through it is a process. Take care of yourself.
Re-watch your content about N388RA and relate it to this video. It would be beneficial that history not repeat itself in a negative manner. It may not have been a factor in this learning experience, but it could have.
Mike Patey has some great videos on GA do’s and don’ts several good videos. He’s unfortunately lost numerous friends in the last year or so do to stupid mistakes by the pilots. Great to see you’re still here with us!!!!
Glad you're alive! I watch several aviation channels (not a pilot though). I am a skydiver however and I watch the JOINTHETEEM (AKA Friday Freakout) channel which shows issues skydivers have and they debrief what went wrong and how it could have been avoided, etc. Love learning all the ways to survive and things to avoid.
Well said sir. Not a pilot but appreciate the humility and the willingness to share. You just might have saved someone else because of your video. Love your content and thank you again.
A friend of mine flying back in to Greenville, SC at night in IMC got the low altitude alert from the controller. Luckily, he heard it and reacted immediately. Greenville is not flat like Walterboro. I appreciate you sharing. It's an important reminder. No matter how few or how many hours we have, we still have to check and re-check. Never take anything for granted! I'm about to have an autopilot installed so this is particularly useful for me. btw, I had previously watched your videos about Scott's little issue. I was impressed by how you handled that situation. When I just now learned you're a pilot I'm less surprised than I was. The attitude you bring to flying is the same as what I saw with Scott's situation. Big thumbs up from a fellow pilot!
#1 thing is complacency kills! As a new pilot in the clouds you'd be scanning that altimeter every few seconds. I'm not a pilot but I know some of those units only have one altitude knob that works in 100s of feet then switch to 1000s as you turn it, maybe that's what happened? or maybe it somehow left vertical speed mode without turning altitude hold back on, since you said you were on heading mode. Nice plane by the way
Thanks for sharing. I have my private. 220 hours. Getting ready to begin IFR training to get the rating. Good to remember: trust but verify! Glad you’re still here and alive!
The controller was definitely shittin' his pants when he didnt get a resposne as you kept descending shesh. Radio blind spots are no joke, thanks for sharing this scary yet humbling experience.
"DON'T SINK" "TER'RAIN, TER'RAIN, PULL UP" Glad you kept the blue side on top of the ball; 'cause who else will make me slightly-less-heavy-than-defined-war-crimes launchers?
Glad you are alive. On my solo long cross country during my private pilot training I got scolded over the radio. I had flight following and it was pretty much my second time ever talking to atc. I was reading back instructions and forgot to include my tail number, and the controller wasn’t having it lol. Thanks for showing your mistakes so others can learn man
Keeping the blue side up isn't enough, and this is a very good example of it. Thanks for sharing and as a pilot I'm more than happy to see you sharing this scary experience.
I've been flying for over five decades and I've never had a controller say to me what you were being informed of. I've made my share of mistakes though; it just comes with the profession of being a pilot. Glad you are safe and have learned from this, and for posting! You'll never make this mistake again.
Hey Mark! I am down in Beaufort, just a few miles away. Great job owning this situation and sharing with us to help prevent this same thing with different results.
Extremely interesting story Mark. Well told. It goes without saying that I'm happy for all those who know and love you that you're safe and able to deliver the experienced-based lesson you've lived.
Mark, Thank you for your honest recount of your event. It is really telling how a distraction can lead you to a difficult place. I am happy that this was just a scary moment for you. Well done.
I am so glad You are still with us Sir. I was in instrument training, when I lost my medical, and had an incident similar where I had to turn around to get out of IMC. I Thank God, for me, I was still high enough to not have this situation to worry about but was still a "Sphincter Tightening Experience".
Well, the simplicity clearness and honesty posture of the narrator/active subject cought my attention. I'm a "bloncolirio-probable cause-jimmy's world viewer also. So, I'm joining the ride. Happy landings from Portugal Mark.
Also a private pilot, gun enthusiast, and mechanical engineer in SC. Thank you for being open with sharing this. I think the primary mistake is comfort with autopilot in capturing that altitude. So glad you're with us, and hopefully this means you will not be lost in a recurrence of this scenario. And by sharing this, hopefully other pilots like me will be reminded to verify that altitude capture. Wonder how many lost in imc have been due to this very thing?
First of all thank God that you are alive and unharmed as well that you didn't crash. I'm not a pilot and I have never flown a plane but I love aviation and I love to learn about it. I just happened to see the headline of your video so I watched it and I'm a new subscriber. Glad to see that you are a gun designer.
Flying through clouds is insane, one small mistake or a couple of instrument failures and you're one with the terrain before you know it... glad nothing happened this time round.
Not exactly, during instrument training we are taught to be able to maintain positive control even with equipment failures. In IMC you can maintain control of the airplane with just an altimeter and turn coordinator. It’s all about applying what you were taught and never becoming complacent, complacency kills.
Brother you ARE beloved. We care for you. While I am not a pilot I do follow you and your exploits. God bless you my friend, although you do not need to join him any time soon. I appreciate how you accept your learning opportunities. We ALL make mistakes but only the smartest among us accept, learn and move on with more wisdom. I am glad to have a brother like you. AGAIN God bless my brother, he watches over us all. Thanks for all of your inventions, ALL free peeps need 'em.
Glad you made it through it brother. It is so easy to get distracted by ATC and working the radios and flying by knobs, you got to pay strict, strict attention to everything going on, listen to your body, your gut will tell you something ain't right before ATC will usually. Stay safe!
Gun nut and pilot here. Crazy man. You never know what asshole tower can be around there sticking straight into the layer. From having deviated by 2-300feet, I’m wondering why those radio calls weren’t heard. I’ve been out of range as well but that was in the middle of absolute nowhere with very little reception low. This is why that instrument scan is so darn important. Even on autopilot. Glad you’re safe and here to share a story.
Thanks for sharing. Years ago I almost died flying cargo in twin Cessnas, and it’s something you never forget. I did notice your panel layout is abnormal. When you set up your new panel make your primary ADI/ALT/AIRSPEED cluster be directly in front of you and your secondary navs/gps over to the side. It’s not a good setup to have to be flying straight and level but turning your head to the right to see your primary instruments.
Thanks for sharing Mark, I’m currently working on my IFR and flew autopilot for the first time, wow mind blowing, could see how you could get complacent. Taking your advice to heart, trust but verify! BTW, I’m 64yo, definitely started a little late in life. Thanks again
Mark, thank you for sharing your “almost”. I bet nearly every instrument rated pilot has had at least one “almost”. I wouldn’t be here if my father’s “almost” was a crash and burn. He is a retired Naval Aviator. Watching this video reminded me of my “almost” which I described to a young private pilot sitting next to me a couple of weekends ago while he was serving as my safety pilot for practice instrument approaches to maintain my six HITS. My “almost” was a takeoff into a low cloud layer and low visibility. No, it was not a zero-zero takeoff. I have since developed a special check list that I keep in the Notes Ap of my cell phone. Takeoff into LIFR? Not before completing my special check list that amounts to “fly the airplane EXCLUSIVELY” with no allowed distractions until engaging heading mode on the autopilot of my Piper Arrow. None. No communication. No navigation. Just flying the AI on my G5 until 500 AGL.
Glad you are alive. As you practice it’s a good technique to hold your hand on the stick even though Auto is flying. Be ready to disengage if the auto doesn’t capture as expected. In the flat areas you might be lucky, in terrain you might not be so lucky. Fly VMC approaches and fly with it. I have the same setup in our RV7, I also fly a corporate jet. Be confident not reckless. Practice practice practice. Good video..
Glad you made it out the other end of that one Mark¡! I watch all the same people for the Education as well. I actually hated flying when I was young, and it was Air Disasters that started making me trust planes more. Then took experimental, And got super into how/why GA accidents happen. Glad you’re safe on the ground again. Mike Patey recently talked ab how he hopes one day we can say, Man what an awesome flight, was so nice and uneventful. Unfortunately, we get big heads and don’t talk ab the nice flights, but when we greased it in a 20kn Cross Component...Hahaha. Keep your wings level, and fig out how you got to that decent!!!
Close call. Lots to be thankful for this season. Glad you made it and were not on one of those other YT channels because you plowed it into the ground.
Wow, I heard this on ATC Live that day. Since the weather was bad, I decided not to fly and to fly on my cMSFS2020. I was listening to ATC Live and I heard they call out. I immediately went to Flight radar 24 to look for your airplane. I’m glade you made ok. Thanks for sharing. I actually flew to RBW the next day and recorded the flight.
Wow!!! That was pretty close. Happy you lived through that experience. I have to say I do not even like driving in the fog let alone flying in the clouds.
Glad you still with us and thanks for sharing. Looking for 1600 ft and ended in -1200 ft/min looks like you have selected a kind ofVS/ descent mode with tgt of 1600 ft/min instead of alt 1600ft alt …ofcourse its a just a maybe .😊
Hey Mark, as a fellow instrument pilot, I'm glad I stumbled upon this video made by you, and not Juan.... Hard to keep your head on a swivel in the clouds, but go up and wring that damn autopilot out in VMC. See if you can recreate the situation, and how to correct it. Get your CFI to go with, and figure it out. We're always learning dude.... 👍
I was lucky enough to start out in Vietnam era equipment in the military and at near the same time move into modern glass civilian stuff, one of the first things I realized was that autopilots required you to be more in front of the aircraft. They are bad copilots that will do exactly what you tell them, plus you have to be constantly thinking about what you are going to tell them to do next versus just doing it yourself when the time comes. Glad you’re still here to make cool guns, keep the greasy side down.
I think the main way to avoid this problem is to monitor your instruments, which I'm sure you were taught to do when training for your instrument rating.
Truth be told you are human we all are. Lesson keep your head in the game, glad you got lucky. May we all learn from your near death experience. Thanks for sharing! 👍❤️🙏🏻
Thanks for publishing this and not being ashamed about it. 20 year old plane😂 Most people can not afford that, but then again, they won’t be flying IFR 😄
Thanks for sharing that, fellow pilot and I appreciate it. I have a trutrak (bendix king now i guess) in my plane too, and I can say from experience that while I am glad to have it, they are not the most reliable units out there. They really do need keeping an eye on pretty carefully. I also started the habit of flying one of my approaches by hand when I go out to log my practice approaches. I'm definitely gonna keep doing that after seeing your video. Again, thanks for sharing
