Failed Checkride for stupidity

T

tonyholland00

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Tony Holland
Well I had my checkride yesterday and was pretty excited for it.

The oral portion when just fine.

Off to fly, cross country went fine, diverted to uncontrolled Class E with 2 runways 14/32 and 4/22 wind was 320 at 6, crossed overhead +500 of field alt and maneuvered for a left downwind to 32. All went good soft field landing.

Then on short field over 50 ft obstacle takeoff on 32 DPE told me to do a cross wind landing on 22. I dont know why this flustered me so much but it did and i was thinking of which way to turn get to 22. Once I hit 500ft AGL I made a right turn for a right downwind for 22 thinking that is the quickest way to 22.

Long story short, unless notified otherwise always make left traffic. Test was over after that landing. Went on and completed all of the other requirement but need to work on Traffic Pattern and retake.

I feel like a complete dumb*ss I know better than that. I fly out of a controlled airspace with 32L 32R and fly right traffic quite often. I guess i was trying to be efficient getting to 22. Really dumb mistake but one I will not make again.

Hopefully will be able to retake on Thursday and be done.

Thanks for all the advice on the forum.
 
You aren't the first pilot to bust a check ride, and you won't be the last. Post up when you get it done. Easy to get flustered when you see something unfamiliar in a test stetting.
 
When did he tell you that? Were you already on the runway or in the process of taking off? If so, that was really a d*ck move on his part. I would have wanted to look at the airport diagram and visualize what I was going to do.

At least next time will be less stressful! Take your time and figure out exactly what you want to do before you do it!
 
Some people get flustered flying at a controlled field , I get flustered at an uncontrolled field. Don't feel bad.
 
No she told me about it holding short of 32. I think it was a macho move of not wanting to look like i was struggling to know what to do. My mistake not hers.

We talked it over in the end and she was very nice about it.
 
There are no points for doing it quickly. There are no deductions for double checking ... Take you're time, act when YOU are ready.
 
The most important lesson to be learned is for you to determine why you freaked. You get a do-over on the check ride, but the accident reports show that that the real world can be much less forgiving.

Try to reenact the scenario as accurately and objectively as possible and examine all of the factors that led up to your brain cramp when under pressure. Some pilots are able to gain significant insights into their own thought patterns and decision-making processes by such analysis, some just blow it off and think it was just one item on a checkride and no big deal.
 
I'm sure people have failed for far simpler mistakes. You nailed everything else and learned from this experience. Good luck!
 
tonyholland00 said:
...
Off to fly, cross country went fine, diverted to uncontrolled Class E with 2 runways 14/32 and 4/22 ...

Hopefully will be able to retake on Thursday and be done.

Thanks for all the advice on the forum.
Click to expand...

21D?

You will do fine. I know what you mean, though. I am go go go, also and have to force myself to slow down. I am not the plodding methodical type but some of that is good in aviation.
 
I can assure you your mistake was no more stupid than the one I busted my first checkride with. Get back up on the horse. You're almost there.
 
I almost made a traffic pattern mistake (direction of pattern) similar to this one. But it was at a towered airport so before taking the path to runway 29 to perform left traffic I decided to think, think again, then ask them. None of that happened, since I got around a mountain and they told me to land behind two other planes, which were easy to spot and follow in. So it was a matter of things developing / coming together as I got closer to the runway. I was expecting, mentally, a left pattern for 29 because that is what the AFD says, so when they told me report right downwind for some reason it didn't really register. Next time I will write down what they say and not just read it back.
 
Sorry you failed your checkride. I'm sure you'll never make that mistake again. Since you're fairly new around these parts (post #17) take heart to some of the responses. As soon as the others read this they'll flame you I'm sure. I take the approach of "I'll learn from this non event and not it happen again" Let us know how it turns out when you retest.
 
Learn from the experience and then pass the ride the second time. Took me two trys to get the IR ride nailed. You'll fine on the retry.
 
saracelica said:
Sorry you failed your checkride. I'm sure you'll never make that mistake again. Since you're fairly new around these parts (post #17) take heart to some of the responses. As soon as the others read this they'll flame you I'm sure. I take the approach of "I'll learn from this non event and not it happen again" Let us know how it turns out when you retest.
Click to expand...

I'll take that bet. Nobody gets flamed for busting a ride. They get flamed for the actions that follow...like defending poor decisions or displaying poor attitudes.
 
So you completed the other portions after landing on 22? Did you know at the time or not?

I wonder what a DE does to retest? It seems like such a simple thing to go back out and show you can do another pattern the right way. And if you did another pattern the right way that day it seems like that would be your retest during the same checkride.

Now what if you go out and blow something else that you already passed? Maybe pattern work is a broad test category and anything in that can bust you again. I'll have to look at the PTS.....again.

And in the end, you get your license anyway. Those tricksters. Why do they put us in those situations?

So, here's to finishing that darn thing!



tonyholland00 said:
Well I had my checkride yesterday and was pretty excited for it.

The oral portion when just fine.

Off to fly, cross country went fine, diverted to uncontrolled Class E with 2 runways 14/32 and 4/22 wind was 320 at 6, crossed overhead +500 of field alt and maneuvered for a left downwind to 32. All went good soft field landing.

Then on short field over 50 ft obstacle takeoff on 32 DPE told me to do a cross wind landing on 22. I dont know why this flustered me so much but it did and i was thinking of which way to turn get to 22. Once I hit 500ft AGL I made a right turn for a right downwind for 22 thinking that is the quickest way to 22.

Long story short, unless notified otherwise always make left traffic. Test was over after that landing. Went on and completed all of the other requirement but need to work on Traffic Pattern and retake.

I feel like a complete dumb*ss I know better than that. I fly out of a controlled airspace with 32L 32R and fly right traffic quite often. I guess i was trying to be efficient getting to 22. Really dumb mistake but one I will not make again.

Hopefully will be able to retake on Thursday and be done.

Thanks for all the advice on the forum.
Click to expand...
 
After I made right traffic and turned final for 22 i actually did a go around because I did not like my approach. After the go around I naturally chose left traffic and performed standard left pattern for 22 and landed successfully.

After landing the DPE told me to pull over the explained that the test was over because of my using right traffic. Asked if i wanted to continue the test to which i said yes.

I dont know how she is going to retest. She said she wanted to do a XC and divert me to another airport and practice pattern.

It should be no problem I hope as long as I turn left!

On the notice of failure the only portion that needed to be retested was the portion on pattern work Chapter III part B of the PTS.
 
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tonyholland00 said:
It should be no problem I hope as long as I turn left!
Click to expand...

Be sure you know EVERY runway within say 50 miles that has a right pattern. And know where to look on the sectional for the "RP" symbol that indicates right pattern.

It is just possible now that you have "all turns to the left" tattooed on your brain, that the DPE will take you to a RP runway to see if you will recognize the RP or if you are now flying LPs without verifying RP/LP.

I'm sure you will do fine. But be prepared!!

-Skip
 
Skip Miller said:
Be sure you know EVERY runway within say 50 miles that has a right pattern. And know where to look on the sectional for the "RP" symbol that indicates right pattern.

It is just possible now that you have "all turns to the left" tattooed on your brain, that the DPE will take you to a RP runway to see if you will recognize the RP or if you are now flying LPs without verifying RP/LP.

I'm sure you will do fine. But be prepared!!

-Skip
Click to expand...


I did ask the DPE that on this trip where we diverted on my XC to an airport that was not planned. Would most people open up a AFD to find out what the traffic pattern is? For my XC I looked at the AFD for destination and alternate airport.

She told me that she only knows of 1 airport in the state of MN that has right traffic for one runway. I know we wont be going there.

Good point though thanks.
 
tonyholland00 said:
After landing the DPE told me to pull over the explained that the test was over because of my using right traffic. Asked if i wanted to continue the test to which i said yes.
Click to expand...

Tony, where did you take lessons? Was it a Part 141 school?
 
tonyholland00 said:
Would most people open up a AFD to find out what the traffic pattern is?
Click to expand...

If pattern direction is your only question, it is a lot faster to see this information on the sectional. See the attached file... I have circled - ummm, ovaled? - the pattern direction in red. Note Left Pattern is never noted as it is the default, and only the runway noted is right pattern.

If MN only has one right pattern, you may not have seen this chart notation before.

-Skip
 

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Skip Miller said:
If pattern direction is your only question, it is a lot faster to see this information on the sectional. See the attached file... I have circled - ummm, ovaled? - the pattern direction in red. Note Left Pattern is never noted as it is the default, and only the runway noted is right pattern.

If MN only has one right pattern, you may not have seen this chart notation before.

-Skip
Click to expand...


Thank you, yes I would much rather just look at the sectional. Great info. Thanks again.
 
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