The reason why you have more than one pilot in the cockpit is so that one covers the other one for mistakes, lapses and whatever else. This system works well, some airline use the supporting method where the pilot flying is supported by the one monitoring, while some use the delegative method, where the pilot flying is in charge and delegates the monitoring task to the one monitoring. It works well, when I started, the captain would tell me what I'm doing wrong or what I forgot and correct me. When I became captain, I would do the same to the first officers, especially the new ones as they're sometimes nervous.
Unfortunately, the system can break down when you have two people in the cockpit whose minds were somewhere else. This happened to me on an approach into Padang's Minangkabau airport. It's a new airport, replaces the old Tabing whose instrument procedure require some careful planning.
it was the first officer's leg, so he did the briefing. As we neared, a late descent caused us to fly over the airfield at 10,000ft before turning downwind over the sea. We planned for the ILS. Everything was routine for the approach, but the day was out of routine.
My mind was largely somewhere else that day, and the first officer just broke up from his girlfriend. We were running late and weather wasn't on our side. We did the descent on the downwind through the clouds, down to 4000ft. There was another traffic at 4000 about to intercept the ILS and descending, and I saw him on the TCAS. It was a bumpy ride.
We levelled at 4000, just on the bottom of the clouds, so we get moments of obscurity, and moments of a clear view. The reported visibility was 4000m. We were told to extend our downwind due to departing traffic. As we turned towards the ILS, we descended to 3000, in scattered rain.
As we went about our business, we were chatting too. We normally do that, but as I monitored our instruments, selecting the flaps according to the F/O's request, the rain stopped and he suddenly called visual. I was thinking, "huh?"
There was a runway in the distance, but no lights. Airports in Indonesia don't always switch their damn lights even in dull weather. As we hadn't intercepted the localizer yet, the runway was to our right, and we were a bit high.
I asked him, "You gonna go visual?"
"You betcha!"
"Swing it round then. I'll call for clearance once we're near the centerline. We're a bit high so go down but not too steep."
"Aye-Aye sir!"
He manouvered the aircraft nicely, speed was good, we were visual, we'd be landing shortly. I made the announcement, "Cabin crew be seated for landing."
I can see he's planning a turning final, not a large one, but it'll be good and safe enough.
"Landing checklist please," he called.
I took the checklist and did a quick instrument scan.
"Something's not right."
"Whaddya mean Capt?"
"Localizer's too our left now."
"Really?"
"Yes!" I suddenly realized. "Man, that's Tabing!"
"Oh shit..."
"You wanna do it or you want me to do it?"
"I still got it. Going left now for the intercept, no wonder we were high for that runway."
We were down to 2000ft. We did the error of going for whatever we saw first without checking the instruments. This is the most fundamental error one can make on an instrument approach. Landing at the wrong airport would certainly cause a major embarrassment for the airline, and probably ruin our careers.
"Yeah, just keep it smooth and we'll be OK."
We continued the approach and landed without anyone noticing the mistake we made. As we rested in the ground turnaround, we sat there looking each other wondering how we could have made that mistake.
One thing is for sure, the system is there to keep us out of trouble. That's why we have two and not one pilot. However, in the rare occasion that both are having personal problems, both must realize it and be on the extra lookout. When we didn't, the minor lapse we did could have ruined our careers. We were lucky it wasn't some other lapse that would have costed our lives. After researching, I found that a lot of mishaps happened when one is disturbed or pressured from the going ons of our personal lives. I have always avoided it, work is work, personal is personal. I've had this kind of situation before and never had a problem only this time, both me and the other guy are having problems. When this happens, BE CAREFUL.
The last time a plane landed in Tabing thinking it was Minangkabau, one or both of the pilots were having personal problems. The airline however, said it was a cellphone interference causing the ILS to make an error and guide them to another airport. So much for that, but hey, thats for another time to discuss.
Fly safe and calm everyone.
Unfortunately, the system can break down when you have two people in the cockpit whose minds were somewhere else. This happened to me on an approach into Padang's Minangkabau airport. It's a new airport, replaces the old Tabing whose instrument procedure require some careful planning.
it was the first officer's leg, so he did the briefing. As we neared, a late descent caused us to fly over the airfield at 10,000ft before turning downwind over the sea. We planned for the ILS. Everything was routine for the approach, but the day was out of routine.
My mind was largely somewhere else that day, and the first officer just broke up from his girlfriend. We were running late and weather wasn't on our side. We did the descent on the downwind through the clouds, down to 4000ft. There was another traffic at 4000 about to intercept the ILS and descending, and I saw him on the TCAS. It was a bumpy ride.
We levelled at 4000, just on the bottom of the clouds, so we get moments of obscurity, and moments of a clear view. The reported visibility was 4000m. We were told to extend our downwind due to departing traffic. As we turned towards the ILS, we descended to 3000, in scattered rain.
As we went about our business, we were chatting too. We normally do that, but as I monitored our instruments, selecting the flaps according to the F/O's request, the rain stopped and he suddenly called visual. I was thinking, "huh?"
There was a runway in the distance, but no lights. Airports in Indonesia don't always switch their damn lights even in dull weather. As we hadn't intercepted the localizer yet, the runway was to our right, and we were a bit high.
I asked him, "You gonna go visual?"
"You betcha!"
"Swing it round then. I'll call for clearance once we're near the centerline. We're a bit high so go down but not too steep."
"Aye-Aye sir!"
He manouvered the aircraft nicely, speed was good, we were visual, we'd be landing shortly. I made the announcement, "Cabin crew be seated for landing."
I can see he's planning a turning final, not a large one, but it'll be good and safe enough.
"Landing checklist please," he called.
I took the checklist and did a quick instrument scan.
"Something's not right."
"Whaddya mean Capt?"
"Localizer's too our left now."
"Really?"
"Yes!" I suddenly realized. "Man, that's Tabing!"
"Oh shit..."
"You wanna do it or you want me to do it?"
"I still got it. Going left now for the intercept, no wonder we were high for that runway."
We were down to 2000ft. We did the error of going for whatever we saw first without checking the instruments. This is the most fundamental error one can make on an instrument approach. Landing at the wrong airport would certainly cause a major embarrassment for the airline, and probably ruin our careers.
"Yeah, just keep it smooth and we'll be OK."
We continued the approach and landed without anyone noticing the mistake we made. As we rested in the ground turnaround, we sat there looking each other wondering how we could have made that mistake.
One thing is for sure, the system is there to keep us out of trouble. That's why we have two and not one pilot. However, in the rare occasion that both are having personal problems, both must realize it and be on the extra lookout. When we didn't, the minor lapse we did could have ruined our careers. We were lucky it wasn't some other lapse that would have costed our lives. After researching, I found that a lot of mishaps happened when one is disturbed or pressured from the going ons of our personal lives. I have always avoided it, work is work, personal is personal. I've had this kind of situation before and never had a problem only this time, both me and the other guy are having problems. When this happens, BE CAREFUL.
The last time a plane landed in Tabing thinking it was Minangkabau, one or both of the pilots were having personal problems. The airline however, said it was a cellphone interference causing the ILS to make an error and guide them to another airport. So much for that, but hey, thats for another time to discuss.
Fly safe and calm everyone.
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