jesse
Touchdown! Greaser!
I wasn’t really planning on writing anything about this since I considered it to be not that big of a deal. But the more I thought about it the more I thought it might not be a bad idea. If I could just drive the point home with one person it would be worth it.
In aviation if there is metal bent or blood spilled there are usually a chain of events that caused it. I think carbon monoxide poisoning as a rental pilot is one of those things that has almost no chain to it. That only chain you get is the chain of symptom. The problem is that the more serious symptoms occur after your judgment and thought process has already been compromised. On a recent flight of mine I discovered the effects of carbon monoxide by experience instead of words in NTSB reports.
It was a cold night with temperatures at about 15 degrees. The winds were kicking strong out of the north and unfortunately I had to go north. With altitude the winds became unmanageable. Because of this I chose a relatively low cruising altitude for a night flight. There are increased risks as your options are very limited if the engine quits. I was cruising along at about 1700 AGL (3,000MSL) in a Diamond DA-20 with about 130 knots indicated and 85 over the ground.
I had developed a headache but didn’t really think much of it. I get headaches often without caffeine and I had not drank any all as of recent. I was looking at my sectional comparing it to the GPS and noticed that the GPS was not showing airspace. I knew that this was because the detail level was set too low on the 430. I couldn’t figure out how to change the detail level and I knew it was just a matter of pushing a button. After quite a bit of button pushing and knob turning I said screw it—I don’t need the airspace on the GPS.
As the flight continued the headache worsened and I started to feel pretty fatigued. At this same time I wanted to change radio frequencies to see if Approach could pick me up on radar for flight following. I don’t like night cross countries VFR without flight following and I really don’t like it this low. I’d like to at least get a yell for help out if the engine failed. I looked over at the Garmin 430 and wanted to change frequency. I turned the wrong knob at first and tried to push the button to go back. Next thing I knew I was DIRECT TO some airport that was like 500 nm away. I found the right knob for the COM and set it. But now I couldn’t figure out how to flip-flop it as the active frequency. I couldn’t figure out how to get back to the normal nav screen. I felt stupid and confused.
I knew right now that something was wrong. I *KNOW* how to use a Garmin 430. I’ve never had a problem and the things I’m trying to do are very simple functions. I knew it was not hypoxia because my altitude was too low. I knew what it was. I was getting poisoned by carbon monoxide. I turned the heat off and opened up the air vents. Luckily the DA-20 has some hellish air vents. As fresh air entered the cabin I started to run some random math through my head. Look at the airspeed indicator and took the indicated airspeed times the altimeter times plus the VSI. Just something random I could come up with. I was starting to feel better and math was making sense to me (at least I think I was saying the right numbers). After breathing nice fresh air for some time I looked at the GPS and knew instantly how to make the airspace show up. Press the CLR button. As I pulled the power off to land the engine started to backfire excessively. I landed and taxied back to the FBO and heard a very noticeable clicking noise the whole time.
I think the lower cruising altitude probably helped me out a LOT. If I would have been higher there would have been much less oxygen and the carbon monoxide effects would have been much more rapid.
The reason I post this isn’t really for someone to rip me apart about failure to recognize it earlier. Or failure to rip the cowling apart on preflight and inspect every single part of the exhaust like they do every single time since they are a perfect pilot and FAR 91.23.23.2 says to do it. The reason I write this is to try and get people to think about recognizing problems before it’s too late.
If something does not seem right in aviation—it’s not.
In aviation if there is metal bent or blood spilled there are usually a chain of events that caused it. I think carbon monoxide poisoning as a rental pilot is one of those things that has almost no chain to it. That only chain you get is the chain of symptom. The problem is that the more serious symptoms occur after your judgment and thought process has already been compromised. On a recent flight of mine I discovered the effects of carbon monoxide by experience instead of words in NTSB reports.
It was a cold night with temperatures at about 15 degrees. The winds were kicking strong out of the north and unfortunately I had to go north. With altitude the winds became unmanageable. Because of this I chose a relatively low cruising altitude for a night flight. There are increased risks as your options are very limited if the engine quits. I was cruising along at about 1700 AGL (3,000MSL) in a Diamond DA-20 with about 130 knots indicated and 85 over the ground.
I had developed a headache but didn’t really think much of it. I get headaches often without caffeine and I had not drank any all as of recent. I was looking at my sectional comparing it to the GPS and noticed that the GPS was not showing airspace. I knew that this was because the detail level was set too low on the 430. I couldn’t figure out how to change the detail level and I knew it was just a matter of pushing a button. After quite a bit of button pushing and knob turning I said screw it—I don’t need the airspace on the GPS.
As the flight continued the headache worsened and I started to feel pretty fatigued. At this same time I wanted to change radio frequencies to see if Approach could pick me up on radar for flight following. I don’t like night cross countries VFR without flight following and I really don’t like it this low. I’d like to at least get a yell for help out if the engine failed. I looked over at the Garmin 430 and wanted to change frequency. I turned the wrong knob at first and tried to push the button to go back. Next thing I knew I was DIRECT TO some airport that was like 500 nm away. I found the right knob for the COM and set it. But now I couldn’t figure out how to flip-flop it as the active frequency. I couldn’t figure out how to get back to the normal nav screen. I felt stupid and confused.
I knew right now that something was wrong. I *KNOW* how to use a Garmin 430. I’ve never had a problem and the things I’m trying to do are very simple functions. I knew it was not hypoxia because my altitude was too low. I knew what it was. I was getting poisoned by carbon monoxide. I turned the heat off and opened up the air vents. Luckily the DA-20 has some hellish air vents. As fresh air entered the cabin I started to run some random math through my head. Look at the airspeed indicator and took the indicated airspeed times the altimeter times plus the VSI. Just something random I could come up with. I was starting to feel better and math was making sense to me (at least I think I was saying the right numbers). After breathing nice fresh air for some time I looked at the GPS and knew instantly how to make the airspace show up. Press the CLR button. As I pulled the power off to land the engine started to backfire excessively. I landed and taxied back to the FBO and heard a very noticeable clicking noise the whole time.
I think the lower cruising altitude probably helped me out a LOT. If I would have been higher there would have been much less oxygen and the carbon monoxide effects would have been much more rapid.
The reason I post this isn’t really for someone to rip me apart about failure to recognize it earlier. Or failure to rip the cowling apart on preflight and inspect every single part of the exhaust like they do every single time since they are a perfect pilot and FAR 91.23.23.2 says to do it. The reason I write this is to try and get people to think about recognizing problems before it’s too late.
If something does not seem right in aviation—it’s not.
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), I bought and keep a CO detector card on my clipboard during every flight, right where I can see it every time I look down (it's held on to the top edge of the clipboard by one of those black binder clips).
Almost no one turns red.