Oops

jrm1493

New Member
Well, I went up today SFB->SGJ->X60->SFB in a 152 (I'm building XC time in preperation of doing my instrument pt 61). I've only been flying out of Sanford since September, so I don't have that much experience at the airport.

Anyway, every time I've flown out of SFB (maybe 8 times now), 9L,C, and R were being used. This morning it was 27 L, C, and R. I got a taxi clearance from the ramp and I thought he told me to taxi to 27R via R. Well, I was already on C, so I just taxied down it. Apparently he wanted me to go L->B->R. Anyway, long story short I went the wrong way. I guess the standard procedure at SFB is for GA traffic to go L->B->R, but I swear he didn't tell me how to get to R, so I just took the shortest route, which was C->R. Should have asked for clarification I guess... He did kinda rip me a new one on the radio (and gave me VERY progressive taxi instructions after that), but I didn't slow anybody down or create a hazard (luckily), so no number to call. The rest of the flight was really nice and I made 3 good landings, but this screwup is still bothering me... anyway, I know I messed up, but I think he was having a bad day because he kinda snapped at two other folks during the 5 minutes that I was on ground.

Anyway, I guess this is my first screwup with a controller. I'm sure there will be more, but its really frustrating (I'm at about 80 hours total right now). I feel like that one screwup ruined my flight (even though the rest of it was great). I guess I'm just a little hard on myself.
 
It happens. Live and learn.

I'm overly cautious at airports I'm not familiar with. Even if the taxi clearance is relatively simple I'll usually ask a couple of times or get a progressive.

You can never be too sure around runways.
 
That sucks man... but I don't think it would be a reach to say that almost all pilots have had something similar happen to them. Missed heading, altitude, speed, taxiway, landing clearance, etc...

Hell my buddy accidently landed an airliner without a clearance before
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. Well, he landed on puropse, but forgetting the clearance part was accidental
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and that's not just one guy messing up... that's at least three: pilot, copilot, and controller

Good news is you won't miss the taxiway again!!
 
Oh just one more thing: you probably do this already... but if not it REALLY helps to have the taxiway diagram out and understand where you're going before you release the brakes
 
I try to stay away from SFB unless I'm just doing touch & gos. The controllers at ORL (with the exception of one) are normally pretty cool. If they want you to go a specific way, they normally tell you before hand instead of after. I didn't think there was a 'wrong way' for a taxiway. I've had to offset to the right for traffic coming the opposite way before, so I assume that it's two way.
 
Screwups with ATC happen to all of us sooner or later. I've had my fair share. Learn from it, move on, and you'll be a better pilot for it. I always ask for progressives, have the airport diagram NOS plate in front of me, and trace the path I'm going to take with my finger before I start taxiing after I land at a new airport . The real hazard comes when you get complacent at airports you're familiar with and make a wrong turn or take a different route than the controller intends for you to....
 
When I was training at the now gone ATA I almost never went to SFB. With DCA there is was always a pain. KISM or KLEE were always close enough or even go to Titusville. I can only think of one controller at KORL that I didnt care for and thats because she gave us missed instructions and we followed them precisely and she put us in direct path with a 172 on downwind. She said we didnt follow instructions to well so when I reread them to her she didnt answer and then said contact approach. There were 3 of us in the plane and all heard the same thing.
 
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I can only think of one controller at KORL that I didnt care for and thats because she gave us missed instructions and we followed them precisely and she put us in direct path with a 172 on downwind. She said we didnt follow instructions to well so when I reread them to her she didnt answer and then said contact approach. There were 3 of us in the plane and all heard the same thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh, sounds like her. I think I know who you're talking about. I had a friend that was in Airstage II at ATA and another friend that was done and waiting on an interview. The first guy just finished his classroom stuff at MAPD (waiting on the sim time now), and the other guy is working with me at SWA on the ramp.
 
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