Emergency 180 in the Smoke

[Dmitri Scheidel]

First off, I was a student pilot.
I was finishing up my flight training in summer of 2016 out of Concord Buchanan Airfield (KCCR). I needed 0.7 more hours of solo cross country to meet all hourly Minimums for the private pilot certificate. My route of flight was to depart out of CCR and head south over highway 680 over Walnut Creek before turning a little bit in-land to stay away from SFO’s class Bravo to Hollister Co airport. Ceiling was about 4-5,000ft broken but I planned for 3,500ft the whole way. May I mind you that this was in the summer, so the ceiling was not a cloud layer, it was a straight up smoke layer.

So I departed as normal and started making my way down, the could base definitely got larger the higher I climbed, confirming I couldn’t go heiger than around 4,500feet as expected. I was about 5nm to the north west (heading south east) of Livermore airport when I hit this wall of smoke. In a matter of minutes visibility dropped from more than 10 (but not unlimited) to about 6-7sm. As a student pilot this scared me. A lot. I expected reduced viz and the cloud layer, but this wall of smoke spooked me. I was using the VOR and ground waypoints to navigate to practice my pilotage, but I loaded up the GPS after I hit the wall to smooth my worries as I continued. Visibility and clouds were fine, it was just as a new pilot that the current situation was definitely giving me a bad feeling in the gut.

As I continued I neared and crossed over Livermore (LVK) airport when NorCal approach gave me 3 traffic advisories:
- Southwest 738 descending at my 10o’clock.
- A Cirrus at my 12o’clock closing in
- And a news chopper under me.
In the smoke and on edge, this freaked me out as I did not see any of these targets, and I apparently was an intersection for all of them. So spooked student-pilot me exectured a level 180o turn right back to concord to get out of there, I was not comfortable with continuing the flight as the haze/smoke was now pushing my personal Minimums. A few seconds after my turn ATC came on and asked me what I was doing, I said I was returning back to Concord for weather and explained that the smoke got too bad for me. He wasn’t too happy and slapped my wrist over the frequency explaining that I couldn’t do something like that without advising him, but he didn’t give me “the number”.

I continued back to KCCR with my confidence both crush and hyped up. I knew I made a good choice as PIC of the aircraft to not continue, but I was embarrassed about the emergency 180. I landed at CCR and pushed the plane back into its spot when a hydraulic line snapped and the nose strut collapsed on the nose gear... guess it was a good thing I turned back.

 

[asicer]

He wasn’t too happy and slapped my wrist over the frequency explaining that I couldn’t do something like that without advising him, but he didn’t give me “the number”.

The controller was blowing smoke. VFR flight following, you do what you want unless previously given an instruction otherwise. Maybe they confused you with an IFR?

 

[Dmitri Scheidel]

Possible, I was crusing more at 3,700ft, the previous controller made the exception for me since he knew I was a student pilot. But possibly?

 

[frfly172]

The controller would have been happier ,if you had given him some notice on your intent to turn back. Before you turned.

 

[WannFly]

I think OP did the right thing, flying VFR, unless instructed by ATC there is no obligation to tell them anything. Yah it’s great to keep them advised, but he did as he was trained, aviate, navigate and then if time permits communicate. I am all in to let the controller know what I am doing, IF time permits. In that situation will visibility dropping and 3 targets approaching, I would have done the same thing. Making controller happy is not my priority, saving my arse is.

Flame on

 

[JonH]

It depends on the actual calls, which we don't have. If you did a 180 and then sat there for a few minutes of radio silence and ATC has to call and ask about it, their attitude isn't unwarranted.

If you did a 180 and the radio was busy until they called you with an attitude, screw that guy/gal at ATC.

 

[luvflyin]

First off, I was a student pilot.
I was finishing up my flight training in summer of 2016 out of Concord Buchanan Airfield (KCCR). I needed 0.7 more hours of solo cross country to meet all hourly Minimums for the private pilot certificate. My route of flight was to depart out of CCR and head south over highway 680 over Walnut Creek before turning a little bit in-land to stay away from SFO’s class Bravo to Hollister Co airport. Ceiling was about 4-5,000ft broken but I planned for 3,500ft the whole way. May I mind you that this was in the summer, so the ceiling was not a cloud layer, it was a straight up smoke layer.

So I departed as normal and started making my way down, the could base definitely got larger the higher I climbed, confirming I couldn’t go heiger than around 4,500feet as expected. I was about 5nm to the north west (heading south east) of Livermore airport when I hit this wall of smoke. In a matter of minutes visibility dropped from more than 10 (but not unlimited) to about 6-7sm. As a student pilot this scared me. A lot. I expected reduced viz and the cloud layer, but this wall of smoke spooked me. I was using the VOR and ground waypoints to navigate to practice my pilotage, but I loaded up the GPS after I hit the wall to smooth my worries as I continued. Visibility and clouds were fine, it was just as a new pilot that the current situation was definitely giving me a bad feeling in the gut.

As I continued I neared and crossed over Livermore (LVK) airport when NorCal approach gave me 3 traffic advisories:
- Southwest 738 descending at my 10o’clock.
- A Cirrus at my 12o’clock closing in
- And a news chopper under me.
In the smoke and on edge, this freaked me out as I did not see any of these targets, and I apparently was an intersection for all of them. So spooked student-pilot me exectured a level 180o turn right back to concord to get out of there, I was not comfortable with continuing the flight as the haze/smoke was now pushing my personal Minimums. A few seconds after my turn ATC came on and asked me what I was doing, I said I was returning back to Concord for weather and explained that the smoke got too bad for me. He wasn’t too happy and slapped my wrist over the frequency explaining that I couldn’t do something like that without advising him, but he didn’t give me “the number”.

I continued back to KCCR with my confidence both crush and hyped up. I knew I made a good choice as PIC of the aircraft to not continue, but I was embarrassed about the emergency 180. I landed at CCR and pushed the plane back into its spot when a hydraulic line snapped and the nose strut collapsed on the nose gear... guess it was a good thing I turned back.

I agree. Good choice to return to CCR because you weren't confident in continuing. Do you think if you had to do it over you would tell them what you were doing when you did it? You had no absolute requirement to do it. Controller was wrong when he said you "couldn't" do that. But you should. Think about it like this. He called 3 traffics to you. If they were traffic for you, then you are traffic for them. Like maybe you were called to them as southeast bound. And then all of a sudden........

 

[simtech]

He did the right thing but depending on how close all this traffic was maybe the right 180 wasn't the best of options to just pull out of the blue. Just a thought..but yes you're VFR do what you want. I am in the camp when Im VFR I still treat it like IFR and will let them know of all my intentions.

 

[arnoha]

I can definitely understand being weirded out by a situation. I've flown in smoke, just recently actually, that was right at basic VFR minimums. I've also departed SVFR in 1 in smoke. Was not comfortable, but in a creepy, soothing way. In the smoke (and solid IMC), everything gets calm. Spooky calm for someone used to the visual clutter of VFR flying. You're all amped up because you're hungry for input. And there's none. Nothing. Can't believe what you're doing is actually considered VMC.

Had to answer yes to the question. When I was a student pilot, my vis limit was set to 5 sm by my instructor. One day it was 4 out at PAO. Instructor was in the clubhouse, so he quickly signed it off for four. I stayed in the pattern that day.

Sounds like you did everything right, though one detail may have changed things. My understanding is that VFR, yeah, it's all up to you. It's up to you to choose to talk to them. But if you are talking to them and they give you a direct restriction, you need to follow it barring a defensible safety exception. Of course, you can always choose to terminate services if you don't like the instruction. If he had previously given you a heading or a turn, he would have been right to be upset if you went off randomly. Story doesn't indicate such and I'm not suggesting there was. Still, especially as a student pilot, it can be easy to forget that there was a restriction placed (and if you forgot then, you're unlikely to remember now, either).

 

[Dmitri Scheidel]

Thanks for the feedback. I was VFR with flight following, but I was also right under and right next to the cluster of airspace that is NorCal/SFO, so I’m sure the turn didn’t help him out separation-wise and I recognize that.

The controller did beat me to the radio for when I was rolling out of the turn, he called. Of course I had the intention of advising him as soon as I completed the turn, he just beat me to it.

 

[Ravioli]

As described, I would have advised before the turn. The controller wouldn't see an "unexpected" ground track. He could have also offered you a direction for your 180 given the nearby traffic he had called but you hadn't seen.

But that's just part of learning. You didn't do anything wrong. And you've got a data point for future ADM.

 

[Timbeck2]

I think OP did the right thing, flying VFR, unless instructed by ATC there is no obligation to tell them anything. Yah it’s great to keep them advised, but he did as he was trained, aviate, navigate and then if time permits communicate. I am all in to let the controller know what I am doing, IF time permits. In that situation will visibility dropping and 3 targets approaching, I would have done the same thing. Making controller happy is not my priority, saving my arse is.

Flame on

Truth be known, controllers have a vested interest in saving your arse. Not telling them what you're doing while under their control makes that a little tougher. Put yourself in the controller's position - you're trying to separate several different aircraft and when one goes rogue, it puts you into the mind reader position and you have to guess what the rogue pilot is doing so you can keep other aircraft away from him.

 

[mscard88]

As described, I would have advised before the turn. The controller wouldn't see an "unexpected" ground track. He could have also offered you a direction for your 180 given the nearby traffic he had called but you hadn't seen.

But that's just part of learning. You didn't do anything wrong. And you've got a data point for future ADM.

Yeah, this.

 

[WannFly]

Truth be known, controllers have a vested interest in saving your arse. Not telling them what you're doing while under their control makes that a little tougher. Put yourself in the controller's position - you're trying to separate several different aircraft and when one goes rogue, it puts you into the mind reader position and you have to guess what the rogue pilot is doing so you can keep other aircraft away from him.

Completely agree Tim. what i am saying is i get what mindset OP was in, i have had similar experience that i had posted here before, but to recap...

right after PPL i was coming back from Bismarck, trying to outrun a cold front back to fargo, guess what... i lost. right after crossing valley city MSP center handed me over to Fargo approach, as i continued my flight, the clouds were closing in under me. there were holes, but they were closing in - fast, was talking to the controller inquiring about the base, there werent any reports. i found a hole, initiated an emergency spiraling decent, i was at 1500 fpm decent and heard the controller. he was worried, the call was "21k, i am showing you are on a left spiral dive, 1500 fpm, did you find a hole?"
i heard that, but i was laser focused on , 1) getting through the hole 2) bring the aircraft to level - i didnt respond.
got another call - "21k are you alright? please respond" - the controllers know me (or at least my tail number since i am based out of KFAR)
i finally leveled off and responded

in retrospect, i should have told them that i am initiating an emergency decent and avoid the worry on the controller part, but i did not, i was fully focused on getting out of the mess that i got into in the first place. these days even if i am in practice area and doing anything funky, i tell them before hand, and they appreciate the heads up. i would rather have a controller looking over me and making sure i am not doing something yonky and i am always talking to ATC, 99% of the time unless they loose me on radar.

i get it, its controllers job to keep me safe and i will do everything in my power to ensure i dont give them something to worry about. but i also get OP's point, he was a student, i was freshly minted PPL and i guess we were laser focused on the flying part, worry about everything later.

 

[Timbeck2]

Completely understand since I'm both a controller and a pilot. Just thought I'd represent the controllers on this one. I've been in similar situations on both sides of the radio.

 

[Zeldman]

Smoke is relentless. I will back off from smoke before most weather conditions.

I don't find any fault for you turning around at all.

 

[benyflyguy]

Right move. Good job. Turning around was anbetter learning exercise then trying to plod through it.