Single pilot challenge-response

[hais]

Looking for tips on how you validate your assumptions. I had this incident that prompted me to ask: 

The mission was a 0.7 hour flight. I had 22 gallons on the left, 10 on the right. So I figured I'd fly left tank only.

Shortly before take off, I dismissed the switch tank reminder "no switching today". Same thing happened during cruise. As I was stepping out at my destination, I noticed the the right sight gauge was showing almost empty. I thought that was strange, I walked to the other wing and saw 22 gallons. I checked the fuel selector, it was on right tank. Mhhhh... so this is how pilots kill themselves, imagine I needed to go around ...

What is your technique to mitigate confirmation bias when flying alone? Do you do full on challenge response? 

[ilovecornfields]

I use my checklists. It helps if you touch the item you’re referencing in the checklist.

[hais]

Touching.... thanks! Little chance of dismissing an item without checking.

[PT20J]

7 minutes ago, ilovecornfields said:

I use my checklists. It helps if you touch the item you’re referencing in the checklist.

Excellent suggestion. I would only add that you might also want to pause a moment and thoughtfully verify that each item is set correctly as you touch it. A common error when performing a repetitive activity is to not really be mindful of the details. Have you ever driven away from home and wondered if you remembered to lock the front door? You do it all the time, but did you do it this time?

Skip

[GeeBee]

Touch and say.  If you watch the Japanese operate the Bullet train, which is very much a "single pilot" operation, they "touch then say" on the controls. They have a superb safety record.

 

[carusoam]

+1 Using the check list in the modern way….

Its not a to do list…

and it isn’t a skip through it as fast as possible list…

I usually start with tanks filled for the trip…

Always start on the same tank…  the left one…

 

In this case…. You have set up a special situation…

Think it through… write a post-it check list…

 

Or just wing it… and adjust as you go… 

 

If you were surprised by what you did…. And can’t figure out exactly what happened….  The post-it checklist is good for you…

 

Often,  you know you are low on fuel when you lower the nose and things go silent….  Fuel pick-ups are at the back of the tank…

Then you are on the left to right campaign of checking everything… don’t forget the fuel selector on the floor in that campaign….

 

PP thoughts only… the more mature your memory skills get… the more check lists look really helpful….  Not all checklists need to be printed in a factory.

Best regards,

-a-

[hais]

In addition to that, I think the checklist is flawed : I have items that verify state, and those that state intentions: e.g.

- flaps .... take-off (you can see and verify the position of the switch), vs

- fuel ... fullest (there's no full setting on the floor).

So I will modify mine to challenge:

- tank position? ... think... left...touch, confirm left 

 

[PT20J]

Good reading on checklist design. Focus is on air carriers, but a lot of the thinking applies to GA.

https://ti.arc.nasa.gov/m/profile/adegani/Cockpit Checklists.pdf

https://ti.arc.nasa.gov/m/profile/adegani/Human Factors of Flight-Deck Checklists.pdf

https://ti.arc.nasa.gov/m/profile/adegani/On the Typography of Flight-Deck Documentation.pdf

 

[MikeOH]

Touch and say (and, I admit I'm kind of weak on the say part...usually more mental, or muttered under my breath; need to work on that!)

I commonly fly 'one tank' flights.  My method is to note which is the fuller tank when I 'stick' the tanks on pre-flight.  Then, once in the cabin, I set the fuel selector to that tank.  This is the FIRST thing I do mostly because it's easy when you are getting into the plane, before strapping in.  Then, I verify (touch and say) before engine start as part of the pre-start checklist.  Then, again during the run-up checklist. Finally, when my Garmin reminds me to switch tanks, I'll look down and confirm I'm on the desired tank.

[ArtVandelay]

You should have gotten a low fuel warning, if you have a modern Mooney anyway.

[RLCarter]

When I was working on my commercial ticket my CFI DRILLED the use of check list so deep in my mind it hurt….. the check list in both planes I fly are heavily modified (all manufacturers items plus a lot more)…. I say it out loud while placing my hand on the item and visually check it followed by a verbal verification it’s what I want/need. 

[midlifeflyer]

I got rid of the challenge - response format in my personalized checklists several years ago. 

[slowflyin]

After years of trying different methods, I found a simple solution that works great for me.   Right Side of the hour (minute hand on the right)- right tank, left side of the hour-left tank.   Previously I questioned whether or not I switched tanks.  Now I glance at my watch and quickly confirm.  

[PeteMc]

I was taught the Touch method, especially for the pre-takeoff check.

 

[Hank]

I also keep a finger on each item for Engine Start and Before Takeoff items. "Fuel--select fullest tank" is a memory item from preflight bit rarely a problem.

Just don't switch tanks right before takeoff! I've taken off once or twice with 5-6 gal in the selected tank because I realized it immediately before takeoff.  Then once I was above 1000 agl, a quick switch and life was good again. 

[midlifeflyer]

34 minutes ago, Hank said:

Just don't switch tanks right before takeoff! I've taken off once or twice with 5-6 gal in the selected tank because I realized it immediately before takeoff.  Then once I was above 1000 agl, a quick switch and life was good again

What some people do is switch tanks for runup. The theory is that startup and taxi is long enough to verify absence of a problem for one tank and the runup long enough to verify absence of a problem with the other.

[Vance Harral]

1 hour ago, midlifeflyer said:

What some people do is switch tanks for runup. The theory is that startup and taxi is long enough to verify absence of a problem for one tank and the runup long enough to verify absence of a problem with the other.

This suggestion skeeves me out, due to the way carburetors work.  Depending on the carb in question and how efficient you are with your runup, there can absolutely be enough fuel in a carburetor bowl to get you through a quick runup, and takeoff run down the runway, before you discover you switched to a tank that won't feed the carb.  Sure, most of our Mooneys are fuel injected, but not all.  You don't want to build institutional memory for one airplane that will kill you in another, if at all possible (sometimes it's not).

I do like the idea of feeding from both tanks between engine start and takeoff, and we practice this.  But we make the switch immediately after engine start, before beginning the taxi to the runup area.

Opinions on this will vary, I'm sure.  But if you're flying any airplane with any kind of carburetor, it's a worthwhile experiment to turn the fuel selector to off at the end of a flight, and observe just how long it takes for the engine to quit.  Depending on the make and model, it can be almost absurdly long.  One time I abandoned such an experiment after several minutes, just because I felt bad that the student paying for the airplane was about to pay another tenth of an hour for the Hobbes to roll over.

[jaylw314]

17 hours ago, hais said:

Touching.... thanks! Little chance of dismissing an item without checking.

I recall an accident report where one of the specific findings was that the pilot had been trained to use a landing checklist by saying, looking at and touching the fuel valve.  Sure enough, they ended up running out of fuel on the go around because the pilot said, looked at and touched the fuel valve as they were trained--without changing it.

I'm not sure if this is solvable with checklists alone.   I've been toying around with only touching positional controls if I intend on changing them.  That way, I'm not in the habit of touching them without changing them, which might encourage not actually checking them.  After all, if every time you run the checklist you touch the mixture without changing it most of the time, you are building up muscle memory to NOT change it, even if it's actually in the wrong position.  Kind of like how now we're taught not to allow an alarm to continue.

@GeeBee mentioned the Japanese Bullet train, I recall watching a sequence where there were a lot of checklist, with saying and pointing.  I wonder if that might be the difference, where you conduct checklists with speech and physical gesture, but you only touch the control if you plan to change it?

 

Edited March 25, 2022 by jaylw314

[BobbyH]

15 hours ago, hais said:

- fuel ... fullest (there's no full setting on the floor).

Checking the fullest tank isn't too difficult, on pre-flight I visually check both tanks and double check how they line up with my fuel gauges.  The gauge isn't that accurate in my plane so the visual check is my go to.  I just set the valve to the tank that is fullest, when there is a difference.  Your pre-flight check list should include visually checking each tank level and cap. 

Bob

[Hank]

9 minutes ago, BobbyH said:

Checking the fullest tank isn't too difficult, on pre-flight I visually check both tanks and double check how they line up with my fuel gauges.  The gauge isn't that accurate in my plane so the visual check is my go to.  I just set the valve to the tank that is fullest, when there is a difference.  Your pre-flight check list should include visually checking each tank level and cap. 

Bob

I check my tanks with a dip stick during preflight, then "fullest" is very clear. Don't recall the exact verbiage on my checklist.

[Skates97]

17 minutes ago, BobbyH said:

Checking the fullest tank isn't too difficult, on pre-flight I visually check both tanks and double check how they line up with my fuel gauges.  The gauge isn't that accurate in my plane so the visual check is my go to.  I just set the valve to the tank that is fullest, when there is a difference.  Your pre-flight check list should include visually checking each tank level and cap. 

Bob

 

6 minutes ago, Hank said:

I check my tanks with a dip stick during preflight, then "fullest" is very clear. Don't recall the exact verbiage on my checklist.

With the CiES fuel senders and the EDM900 my gauges are very accurate. I'm the only one that flies my plane, but even if it has been locked in the hangar I still dip the tanks and verify quantities before each flight. If we fly somewhere just for a bite to eat and the plane has been out of my sight I dip the tanks again before departing. There are a lot of mistakes that can be made that will get you in trouble in the air, if I can make sure I never run out of fuel that eliminates a big one. It is a quick process to dip the tanks and well worth my time.

[hais]

6 hours ago, Hank said:

I check my tanks with a dip stick during preflight, then "fullest" is very clear. Don't recall the exact verbiage on my checklist.

I knew that the left tank was the fullest, and that's the one I intended to use for the entire flight. The suprise is that I missed three times that the selector was on the right. 

What I'm suspecting is that - if I was thinking in terms of "left tank" rather than "fullest tank", I might have picked up error. 

[Hank]

7 minutes ago, hais said:

I knew that the left tank was the fullest, and that's the one I intended to use for the entire flight. The suprise is that I missed three times that the selector was on the right. 

What I'm suspecting is that - if I was thinking in terms of "left tank" rather than "fullest tank", I might have picked up error. 

I just remember which tank is fullest. "Fly on Left tank first" runs through my head if that tank has more gas. Try to check & switch if needed right after engine start.

[hais]

13 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

I got rid of the challenge - response format in my personalized checklists several years ago. 

Curious why? 

[hais]

11 hours ago, slowflyin said:

After years of trying different methods, I found a simple solution that works great for me.   Right Side of the hour (minute hand on the right)- right tank, left side of the hour-left tank.   Previously I questioned whether or not I switched tanks.  Now I glance at my watch and quickly confirm.  

@carusoam mentioned setting up a special situation ...

I almost always religiously depart with about the same quantity on both sides to within 5 gallons, and plan to be at my alternate with minimum 12 gallons each side - simplifies fuel management a lot, but you can see how human factors start to line up the cheese holes when going out of routine ... I sure lacked the discipline of keeping track where the selector should be because management reduced to a simple "switch now to the other tank" every 30 minutes.