Sick + Single Pilot IFR + Trapped above ice

[hais]

I want to share my story that happened last month: thoughts on what I could have done better?

The mission was to fly a FIKI Ovation from CYBW to CZBB, a 2.5 hours trip over the Rockies. Weather in Calgary area was overcast 3000’, with light to moderate icing, tops around 14K. On route tops were forecast at 10K, anticipating broken layers for half the route, otherwise overcast. Vancouver area was scattered to broken 3000’, moderate icing between 3K and 5K. 
 

The plan was to cruise at 16K using O2, anticipating needing to use the TKS for 30 minutes climbing and 15 minutes for the approach. I planned to divert to one of 3 on route airports that were MVFR if I used more than 1 hour of TKS before reaching halfway point. So I felt the risk was acceptable, with icing being the biggest risk factor compared to an engine out scenario over overcast Rockies.

The first 40 minutes were beautiful and I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I broke out at 14K, and levelled at 16K. I wanted to leave TKS running for a few more minutes before shutting down. Then the high pressure warning came on. No problem I thought. Checklist said to reset, which I did. The light disappeared, but now the wings wouldn’t wet. Switched pumps, tried high setting, windshield pump to prime, nothing helped. So with the need to descend through icing without protection, I decided my best option was to continue to destination where the icing layer wasn’t as thick.

About 20 minutes later, I started to get cold symptoms, condition rapidly deteriorating (the dr later said it was an acute viral infection). The funny part was that I was just fine before takeoff, and 1 hour later, I suddenly had blurry vision, felt like passing out, had difficulty focusing, massive headache. It took a big effort to just read instruments. So, time for a decision. 
 

Option 1: divert to one of the three on route airports I picked earlier on.  CYGE was just minutes away. Challenge: instrument approaches surrounded by mountains, and I can’t read charts because everything is blurry. No nice long straight in approach. No precision approaches I could just let the KFC150 fly down to minima. I felt I couldn’t pull that off.

Option 2: head back to CYBW. It’s closer, I’d have 30kn tail wind, so faster to get down, and can get a nice long ILS or LPV. Challenge, descend through about 10K of moderate icing without TKS. 

Option 3: continue to destination. I know the LPV and ILS approaches in nearby airports by heart, I can shoot them without the plates. No terrain to worry about. Icing layer only about 2K. Challenge, I had 1.6 hours to go with the strong head wind, and wasn’t sure I could stay conscious that long. 

I felt icing was still a bigger threat, so I pressed on. Fighting to stay awake by slapping my thighs , I first asked to descend to 14K, that came with a massive improvement in focus and headache (later dr said I was also likely suffering from high altitude sickness). Encouraged with the improvement, I asked for 12K, which Center didn’t want to grant due to traffic. It never occurred to me to declare emergency, instead, I nagged repeatedly for lower, and was given 13K, and then 12K. I felt much better, but still had a massive headache, and vision was still blurry. And at 12K, I need to fly around some tops which added to the challenge. I thought I should try to hand fly around the weather to stay awake - and that really helped! Not sure though if that was wise. Center showed displeasure at my degraded radio skills and repeatedly told me to use my call sign - which I ignored - which increased the controller’s irritation. I missed another opportunity there to declare emergency. I was only announcing without preamble “turning south now”, “climbing for icing”, “levelling”, “repeat that PIREP?”, etc. Another controller took over the frequency, and thankfully, she worked with me without fuss. I suppose she could tell I was in distress.
 

I was offered to stay high on arrival, which I gladly accepted. Made a 2000fpm descend towards IAF, picked moderate icing, which cleared at 3000’. I swear I did my best greaser ever (and here is a complaint: why is there never a witness when I grease a landing?). 
 

I was in bed for 2 weeks. When I went back to the hangar and tried the TKS, nothing happened. Flew around the patch for 30 minutes. Nothing. As I was taxing back, the panels started to wet. 
 

If anyone is selling one of those EmergencyAutoLand/SafeReturn for piston-flying mere mortals, I’ll by one in heart beat. 

[ilovecornfields]

25 minutes ago, hais said:

I want to share my story that happened last month: thoughts on what I could have done better?

The mission was to fly a FIKI Ovation from CYBW to CZBB, a 2.5 hours trip over the Rockies. Weather in Calgary area was overcast 3000’, with light to moderate icing, tops around 14K. On route tops were forecast at 10K, anticipating broken layers for half the route, otherwise overcast. Vancouver area was scattered to broken 3000’, moderate icing between 3K and 5K. 
 

The plan was to cruise at 16K using O2, anticipating needing to use the TKS for 30 minutes climbing and 15 minutes for the approach. I planned to divert to one of 3 on route airports that were MVFR if I used more than 1 hour of TKS before reaching halfway point. So I felt the risk was acceptable, with icing being the biggest risk factor compared to an engine out scenario over overcast Rockies.

The first 40 minutes were beautiful and I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I broke out at 14K, and levelled at 16K. I wanted to leave TKS running for a few more minutes before shutting down. Then the high pressure warning came on. No problem I thought. Checklist said to reset, which I did. The light disappeared, but now the wings wouldn’t wet. Switched pumps, tried high setting, windshield pump to prime, nothing helped. So with the need to descend through icing without protection, I decided my best option was to continue to destination where the icing layer wasn’t as thick.

About 20 minutes later, I started to get cold symptoms, condition rapidly deteriorating (the dr later said it was an acute viral infection). The funny part was that I was just fine before takeoff, and 1 hour later, I suddenly had blurry vision, felt like passing out, had difficulty focusing, massive headache. It took a big effort to just read instruments. So, time for a decision. 
 

Option 1: divert to one of the three on route airports I picked earlier on.  CYGE was just minutes away. Challenge: instrument approaches surrounded by mountains, and I can’t read charts because everything is blurry. No nice long straight in approach. No precision approaches I could just let the KFC150 fly down to minima. I felt I couldn’t pull that off.

Option 2: head back to CYBW. It’s closer, I’d have 30kn tail wind, so faster to get down, and can get a nice long ILS or LPV. Challenge, descend through about 10K of moderate icing without TKS. 

Option 3: continue to destination. I know the LPV and ILS approaches in nearby airports by heart, I can shoot them without the plates. No terrain to worry about. Icing layer only about 2K. Challenge, I had 1.6 hours to go with the strong head wind, and wasn’t sure I could stay conscious that long. 

I felt icing was still a bigger threat, so I pressed on. Fighting to stay awake by slapping my thighs , I first asked to descend to 14K, that came with a massive improvement in focus and headache (later dr said I was also likely suffering from high altitude sickness). Encouraged with the improvement, I asked for 12K, which Center didn’t want to grant due to traffic. It never occurred to me to declare emergency, instead, I nagged repeatedly for lower, and was given 13K, and then 12K. I felt much better, but still had a massive headache, and vision was still blurry. And at 12K, I need to fly around some tops which added to the challenge. I thought I should try to hand fly around the weather to stay awake - and that really helped! Not sure though if that was wise. Center showed displeasure at my degraded radio skills and repeatedly told me to use my call sign - which I ignored - which increased the controller’s irritation. I missed another opportunity there to declare emergency. I was only announcing without preamble “turning south now”, “climbing for icing”, “levelling”, “repeat that PIREP?”, etc. Another controller took over the frequency, and thankfully, she worked with me without fuss. I suppose she could tell I was in distress.
 

I was offered to stay high on arrival, which I gladly accepted. Made a 2000fpm descend towards IAF, picked moderate icing, which cleared at 3000’. I swear I did my best greaser ever (and here is a complaint: why is there never a witness when I grease a landing?). 
 

I was in bed for 2 weeks. When I went back to the hangar and tried the TKS, nothing happened. Flew around the patch for 30 minutes. Nothing. As I was taxing back, the panels started to wet. 
 

If anyone is selling one of those EmergencyAutoLand/SafeReturn for piston-flying mere mortals, I’ll by one in heart beat. 

Tough situation. Did you have a pulse ox? Not knowing what was going on and having those acute symptoms I’d probably try to get on the ground sooner rather than later. Who knows if it’s a virus, hypoxia, heart attack or CO poisoning while you’re in the air.

Did the virus have a name? There’s been a lot of nasty RSV going around.

[Browncbr1]

CO poison

[neilpilot]

While symptoms do sound like CO, if he was using O2 this would seem unlikely.  OTOH contamination of bottled O2, while rare, isn’t impossible.

BTW A pulse oxymeter is likely of limited use in detecting CO poisoning since CO in the blood would actually not decrease the oxy’s readings.

[carusoam]

Yikes! Great shared experience hais!

Some things to consider for this conversation…

1) CO poisoning that is that strong…doesn’t undo itself for hours. As the CO sticks very strongly/preferably to the red blood cells…

2) a CO monitor is important to have… because logic starts failing, as CO saturation increases…

3) O2 monitors are really important too when traveling over 12k, and other personal limits….

4) O2 monitors and CO poisoning are not compatible… CO appears as O2 on finger tip type sensors… giving wrong data.

5) If concerned about staying awake… while being poisoned, or short on O2, or having a heart attack… hand flying is not a very compatible option…. 

6) I’m so glad you made successful choices…

7) I’m also glad you were able to get some help from ATC… not all ATC people recognize what may be happening in your cabin…

8) Don’t fear declaring the E-word….  The moment you fear being unconscious, it is E-word worthy…   Waiting to find out if you are right about your situation may only last a minute…

9) With a CO monitor… you can be informed about the need to turn off CO producing knobs…

10) With an O2 monitor… you can be informed about finding a problem with your O2 system…

11) Viruses can be pretty nasty… and their effects may be stronger with altitude….

12) An Ovation can soldier on with a sleeping pilot for hundreds of miles.  We lost a pilot years ago, traveling to a MAPA safety training in Atlantic City… unconscious, shortly after cruise started… Ran out of gas, shortly after passing Atlantic City… hit the ocean at Cruise speed….

13) Surviving an unconscious flight…? Select an altitude and direction with the best open field landing options… high enough to be above terrain, low enough so O2 isn’t a problem….  select a very slow cruise speed… this will also be your landing speed if you are asleep….

14) +1 for the auto land function….   The technology is not that far away…. 

Lets invite a couple of people to the discussion…

@DanM20C Dan knows CO poisoning pretty well… (CO concern while flying an Ovation)

@CAV Ice @CAV Ice Protection The TKS system people… (TKS challenge in flight, over mountains, with icing)

 

Great work hais!   Thanks for sharing the details….

PP thoughts only, not a medical professional…

Best regards,

-a-

[irishpilot]

First, I'm glad you made it safely back on the ground. Second, thanks for sharing your story. I think too often we don't share stories like this for fear of reprisal. However, this is how we as a community learn, so my hat's off to you!

I agree with others that this could have been CO2 poisoning, or it could have been rapid hypoxic mixed with you not feeling well. Were you using canulas or a mask? Do you have an O2 metering device? Same with pulse ox.

My min equipment for flying high and solo are an additional mask/canulas, pulse ox, CO2 detector (every flight) and pulse ox. There are a lot of articles on blood O2 count, but most healthy adults should be between 98-100% on the ground. I'd recommend not going below 90% inflight, and either bump up the O2 flow or descend if unable to maintain in the 90s.

I use the AV8 portable CO2 detector. We had a group buy on MS a while back for them. I think around $100. It is awesome and loud so I can hear it over the engine noise.

Your doctor could be spot on as to the cause of your incident, but with these tools, you will be able to rule out certain causes. Just a recommendation.

I think you made a good risk assessment, and applied operational risk management to help you pick the least poor option in a tight situation. I also agree with your assessment that declaring an emergency is prudent. Overall, I'm glad you and the plane are safe and ready to fly again.

As to the mechanical fail, this is a known issue on our TKS systems, and I agree with the community practice of running the system at least once per month and prime before needing to use it inflight.


Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[takair]

Really glad you are ok.  Two emergencies in one flight!  Not that you were asking for advice on the issue, but perhaps the two emergencies were not a coincidence?  I know there are limited TKS components in front of the firewall, but there is at least one line to the prop.  Is it possible you have an exhaust leak that is impinging on that line and heating the fluid excessively?  Or some other forgotten component?  I guess I am suggesting removal of the cowl before flight to look for a CO leak or something more significant.  Glad you are better, it was a scary event for sure.

[carusoam]

Rob,

How about that auto-throttle servo connected to the Garmin auto-land system…?

Similar to auto lean in complexity… 

Providing auto-land capabilities for Mooneys?

 

PP Dreaming out loud only… 

Best regards,

-a-

[ilovecornfields]

7 minutes ago, irishpilot said:

First, I'm glad you made it safely back on the ground. Second, thanks for sharing your story. I think too often we don't share stories like this for fear of reprisal. However, this is how we as a community learn, so my hat's off to you!

I agree with others that this could have been CO2 poisoning, or it could have been rapid hypoxic mixed with you not feeling well. Were you using canulas or a mask? Do you have an O2 metering device? Same with pulse ox.

My min equipment for flying high and solo are an additional mask/canulas, pulse ox, CO2 detector (every flight) and pulse ox. There are a lot of articles on blood O2 count, but most healthy adults should be between 98-100% on the ground. I'd recommend not going below 90% inflight, and either bump up the O2 flow or descend if unable to maintain in the 90s.

I use the AV8 portable CO2 detector. We had a group buy on MS a while back for them. I think around $100. It is awesome and loud so I can hear it over the engine noise.

Your doctor could be spot on as to the cause of your incident, but with these tools, you will be able to rule out certain causes. Just a recommendation.

I think you made a good risk assessment, and applied operational risk management to help you pick the least poor option in a tight situation. I also agree with your assessment that declaring an emergency is prudent. Overall, I'm glad you and the plane are safe and ready to fly again.

As to the mechanical fail, this is a known issue on our TKS systems, and I agree with the community practice of running the system at least once per month and prime before needing to use it inflight.


Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
 

Unless you’re using a Sodastream to make Italian sodas in flight you usually don’t have to worry about a CO2 leak…

My son is starting up his flight training again and I’m giving him a Stratux (to a avoid airplanes and weather), pulse ox (to avoid hypoxia), CO monitor (since I don’t trust those dots) and a foreflight subscription. I think if everyone used this stuff (and I think most of us do) then we could avoid a handful of preventable accidents every year. He has a sodastream as well and can make a pretty refreshing Italian soda— just not in the airpalne.

[irishpilot]

Unless you’re using a Sodastream to make Italian sodas in flight you usually don’t have to worry about a CO2 leak…
My son is starting up his flight training again and I’m giving him a Stratux (to a avoid airplanes and weather), pulse ox (to avoid hypoxia), CO monitor (since I don’t trust those dots) and a foreflight subscription. I think if everyone used this stuff (and I think most of us do) then we could avoid a handful of preventable accidents every year. He has a sodastream as well and can make a pretty refreshing Italian soda— just not in the airpalne.

You are correct, a Stratus and Sentry pucks do provide CO2 detection as well.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[ilovecornfields]

7 minutes ago, irishpilot said:

You are correct, a Stratus and Sentry pucks do provide CO2 detection as well.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
 

 

[irishpilot]

wow, tough crowd. My bad...Carbon MONOXIDE. Are we good now?

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[takair]

16 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Rob,

How about that auto-throttle servo connected to the Garmin auto-land system…?

Similar to auto lean in complexity… 

Providing auto-land capabilities for Mooneys?

 

PP Dreaming out loud only… 

Best regards,

-a-

Not quite a dream.  I have a prototype on the bench, just waiting for investors….that part might be a dream.  

[RoundTwo]

2 minutes ago, irishpilot said:

wow, tough crowd. My bad...Carbon MONOXIDE. Are we good now?

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
 

Was waiting for that. 

2 minutes ago, irishpilot said:

[GeeBee]

Good decision making under very tough circumstances! I don't know how you managed to keep conscious, let alone make good decisions. Nice job.

Besides inspecting your TKS system functionality you need to do a complete inspection of your O2 system to insure it has the correct contents, and it is delivering at the correct rate. Personally, I would empty the tank and refill it from a source different than last time.

Then you need to insure there are no CO leaks into your cabin.

Finally you need to travel with a pulse oximeter and a CO detector.

 

[Hank]

Sensorcon makes great small CO detectors. @DanM20C has arranged a multi-year pilot fiscount; they have multiple models to choose from, including a new aviation line; and they are having a sale on the Inspector model, marked down to $99 [promo code HOLIDAY99].

I checked my cabin heat recently, holding the detector in the airflow with heat wide open, and it read a comforting "0'. Being portable, I've checked my cars, gas oven and gas logs in the fireplace, haven't seen anything above 5 or 6 ppm. 

[steingar]

Possible the O2 wasn't working, though you usually get tunnel vision for hypoxia rather than blurring.  Symptoms were definitely related to O2 saturation, since they lessened with diminished altitude. If one is flying in O2 poor environments one should carry a pulse oximeter, compared with anything aviation they are highly economical.  Steingar thinks an emergency should have been declared before things went so far south. That, and the OP should take a good hard look at his exhaust, I bet there's a crack somewhere.

[LANCECASPER]

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger . . . Not necessarily . . . Sometimes it makes you more brave the next time.

Thanks for sharing this. This could have happened to any of us. I think back to ‘93 when I first got a 231 and started flying in the flight levels  (200 - 240) with no O2 backup, no pulse oxymeter, no common sense . . .lol.

My favorite column in Flying magazine was “What I Learned about flying”.  This could have so easily turned out bad - I’m glad it didn’t! But it must have been hard to assess the most dangerous thing . .  Descending through 10,000 feet of icing conditions without TKS working or keep going under your diminished condition . .  It turned out, since you’re alive, that you got it right. But it reminds me that there are certain situations not to put myself in. Being on the ground wishing I was in the air is always better than being in the air wishing I was on the ground.

 

(This post also makes me wonder if the Mooney that went down in Washington state had a TKS system that worked on the ground but went inop in the air.)

 

[Ragsf15e]

12 hours ago, ilovecornfields said:

Tough situation. Did you have a pulse ox? Not knowing what was going on and having those acute symptoms I’d probably try to get on the ground sooner rather than later. Who knows if it’s a virus, hypoxia, heart attack or CO poisoning while you’re in the air.

Did the virus have a name? There’s been a lot of nasty RSV going around.

That’s what I was thinking… CO or low blood O2 making things worse.  Pulse ox is cheap and very useful.

[jaylw314]

13 hours ago, hais said:

I want to share my story that happened last month: thoughts on what I could have done better?

I don't know the area, but if there was any question of CO poisoning or staying conscious, I'd have preferred taking the nearer airport with space under the clouds.  Even if you pick up icing, you have space (and maybe time) to melt it off before landing, and any airport with an ILS has a long enough runway to land at 100 KIAS if need be.  I'd agree the nearest airport surrounded by mountains would be out, since I'd want space under the clouds. 

Also that situation would have been the definition of an emergency.  You were definitely under sufficient duress to maintain safe flight.

Egads, glad you made it down ok!

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by jaylw314

[jaylw314]

6 hours ago, neilpilot said:

While symptoms do sound like CO, if he was using O2 this would seem unlikely.  OTOH contamination of bottled O2, while rare, isn’t impossible.

BTW A pulse oxymeter is likely of limited use in detecting CO poisoning since CO in the blood would actually not decrease the oxy’s readings.

Supplemental O2 would NOT protect you from CO.  Our oxygen systems are not intended to be isolating or independent, so cannulae (obviously) and masks (less obviously) will be mixing air in with oxygen.  At higher altitudes, you might need so much O2 that it would significantly reduce exposure to CO, but not prevent it.  At 16,000' MSL, though, 30-50% of inhaled gas will be coming from the cabin

[philip_g]

Glad you're well.

I'm with the other folks. My first thought was co poisoning. Never had a ovation but the rocket was always a concern for co

 

TKS ways seems finnicky. I test it on the ground before flying into any chance of ice to make sure the pans wet out. Once it wets out usually it isnt an issue 

Edited December 10, 2021 by philip_g

[hais]

Thanks everyone. I have both oximeter and CO detector. Before the incident, I was showing 98%. After getting sick, it never occurred to me to check again.

The CO detector didn't alarm. It is functional, so I think it is unlikely that was the issue. 

What could have caused TKS high pressure followed by failure? It was running just fine up to that point, and I already was out of visible moisture.

[GeeBee]

Water in the filter, or a congealed filter. How often do you exercise the system? How old was the fluid in the tank? When was the last time you replaced the filter?

 

 

 

[exM20K]

45 minutes ago, GeeBee said:

Water in the filter, or a congealed filter. How often do you exercise the system? How old was the fluid in the tank? When was the last time you replaced the filter?

 

 

 

This.  I posted on another thread how I had the same sort of failure after leaving the plane out in heavy rain for 2 days.  Climbed to FL200 and hit the system.  No worky.  Worked fine on the ground and ever since.  In my case, I believe the membrane in the panels themselves got soaked with water that froze, but it could have been anywhere in the system, I guess.

Cheap Fix, though, LOL

-dan