tonyjohnson
Well Known Member
I was doing IFR training today. Flew out of ORL (orlando exec) in a rented spam can with a CFII. After some holding practice north of orlando I called orlando approach and requested the ILS to runway 7 at ORL. Approach gave approved the request and provided vectors.
I was under the hood. The first thing I knew about adverse weather was when the CFII called approach and asked for an IFR clearance to get back to ORL because of weather between us and the airport. We recieved the clearance.
Approach told us to contact the tower. I did so and announced that I was on the ILS approach to runway 7.
Just then the CFII says "look up". I looked up from under the hood and saw what appeared to be Niagra Falls in front of us. Lightning was visable off to the right, but it appeared to be some distance away.
When we entered the weather the rain was so intense that I could not see the cowl. That did not seem to be a problem. I figured that the rain and zero visability would just make the approach more interesting and challanging. At that point the airplane rolled left into an uncommanded left bank which continued, despite full opposite control deflection, until about we were at about a 60 degree bank when the roll stopped and I regained control of the roll and got the wings level.
While struggling with the roll issue I did not realize that we were also experiencing a severe downdraft.
CFII took the controls. We went to full power, nose up to best angle of climb speed, and the VSI showed a 1000 fpm descent. The CFII and I looked at each other with that "were out of ideas" look. I remember thinking at that point that I wish I was in an RV that could climb 2000 fpm instead of a spam can.
Although I do not specifically remember that altitude at which this event began, I believe it to be 2000 feet. That is the last altitude assignment that I remember getting. I had just intercepted the localizer and was not yet to the point of glide slope intercept.
At about 1100 feet we flew out of the weather and the downdraft. Just as we broke out the tower contacted us and told us that we were half a mile south of the ILS. I approached the localizer course from the north.
We proceeded to an uneventful landing, with a stiff cross wind from the south.
During the time that I was practicing holds, 10 miles north of the airport and 30 minutes or so before the severe weather, I noticed that I was experiencing significant updrafts, which took me as much as 300 feet above the altitude I was trying to hold. Florida in the summer has lots of convective activity. Much of it is localized and not associated with any weather "pattern".
The CFII reported to the tower that we had been caught in a micro burst and suggested that other aircraft be warned about it.
My only other experience with a micro burst has been on the instrument exam and those illustrations they give you on the test.
I don't know if it was a "micro burst" or just a severe downdraft...but it was one heck of a ride.
I would like to tell you that I understand exactly what happened and give you good advice as to how to avoid it or to react if you encounter it. I cannot. I have about 550 hours, which makes me a novice compared to most of you here on VAF. I try to learn from every experience in order to be a safer pilot.
I am passing this information along to you for whatever value it may have to you. I do not know what I could have done to avoid this situation, or what I may have been able to do better to handle it.
The only lesson that I can take away from this is that when you are fighting for roll control, keep in mind that there may be other issues....such as descending at 1000 fpm notwithstanding that you are at full power and nose up. My instrument scan went to heck as I concentrated on keeping the aircraft right side up. I did not notice the downdraft. I do not know if we were actually in the downdraft at the time, because I did not look at the VSI while wrestling with the roll issue. That period of time was only a few seconds, but it would have been helpful if I had realized that I was descending like an anvil for those seconds.
If you find yourself in this situation, I hope that you are in an RV and not a spam can which will be lucky to acheive a 500 fpm climb. An aircraft that climbs at 500 fpm will not climb any faster, no matter how experienced the pilot is.
Perhaps some of you with more experience can help me, and others here, understand what happened, how to avoid it, and how to handle it. If so, please feel free to pass along your knowledge and experience.
The mispellings and grammer errors in this post are due to the 3rd rum and coke in front of me now as a result of this every interesting flight.
Tony
I was under the hood. The first thing I knew about adverse weather was when the CFII called approach and asked for an IFR clearance to get back to ORL because of weather between us and the airport. We recieved the clearance.
Approach told us to contact the tower. I did so and announced that I was on the ILS approach to runway 7.
Just then the CFII says "look up". I looked up from under the hood and saw what appeared to be Niagra Falls in front of us. Lightning was visable off to the right, but it appeared to be some distance away.
When we entered the weather the rain was so intense that I could not see the cowl. That did not seem to be a problem. I figured that the rain and zero visability would just make the approach more interesting and challanging. At that point the airplane rolled left into an uncommanded left bank which continued, despite full opposite control deflection, until about we were at about a 60 degree bank when the roll stopped and I regained control of the roll and got the wings level.
While struggling with the roll issue I did not realize that we were also experiencing a severe downdraft.
CFII took the controls. We went to full power, nose up to best angle of climb speed, and the VSI showed a 1000 fpm descent. The CFII and I looked at each other with that "were out of ideas" look. I remember thinking at that point that I wish I was in an RV that could climb 2000 fpm instead of a spam can.
Although I do not specifically remember that altitude at which this event began, I believe it to be 2000 feet. That is the last altitude assignment that I remember getting. I had just intercepted the localizer and was not yet to the point of glide slope intercept.
At about 1100 feet we flew out of the weather and the downdraft. Just as we broke out the tower contacted us and told us that we were half a mile south of the ILS. I approached the localizer course from the north.
We proceeded to an uneventful landing, with a stiff cross wind from the south.
During the time that I was practicing holds, 10 miles north of the airport and 30 minutes or so before the severe weather, I noticed that I was experiencing significant updrafts, which took me as much as 300 feet above the altitude I was trying to hold. Florida in the summer has lots of convective activity. Much of it is localized and not associated with any weather "pattern".
The CFII reported to the tower that we had been caught in a micro burst and suggested that other aircraft be warned about it.
My only other experience with a micro burst has been on the instrument exam and those illustrations they give you on the test.
I don't know if it was a "micro burst" or just a severe downdraft...but it was one heck of a ride.
I would like to tell you that I understand exactly what happened and give you good advice as to how to avoid it or to react if you encounter it. I cannot. I have about 550 hours, which makes me a novice compared to most of you here on VAF. I try to learn from every experience in order to be a safer pilot.
I am passing this information along to you for whatever value it may have to you. I do not know what I could have done to avoid this situation, or what I may have been able to do better to handle it.
The only lesson that I can take away from this is that when you are fighting for roll control, keep in mind that there may be other issues....such as descending at 1000 fpm notwithstanding that you are at full power and nose up. My instrument scan went to heck as I concentrated on keeping the aircraft right side up. I did not notice the downdraft. I do not know if we were actually in the downdraft at the time, because I did not look at the VSI while wrestling with the roll issue. That period of time was only a few seconds, but it would have been helpful if I had realized that I was descending like an anvil for those seconds.
If you find yourself in this situation, I hope that you are in an RV and not a spam can which will be lucky to acheive a 500 fpm climb. An aircraft that climbs at 500 fpm will not climb any faster, no matter how experienced the pilot is.
Perhaps some of you with more experience can help me, and others here, understand what happened, how to avoid it, and how to handle it. If so, please feel free to pass along your knowledge and experience.
The mispellings and grammer errors in this post are due to the 3rd rum and coke in front of me now as a result of this every interesting flight.
Tony
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I enjoy Sailor Jerry.
