sinkrate3278

I'd really like to pick your guys' brain and hear what your most harrowing experiences as a pilot have been in your career. Things that really got your adrenaline pumping while behind the controls

And no, I don't want to hear about FAs with chipped teeth. This is serious lol

It's of value to all of us, especially a new guy like me.

Thanks!

Timbo

Well there was this one time, when I flew a 737 into DCA...

You'll need to talk to Capt. Manno, I'm not at liberty to discuss it until the investigation is complete.

;^)

undflyboy06

Flying cargo in a Piper Chieftain at night, during winter over the Cascades in OR, getting Moderate icing with a 60 kt headwind. I was looking out the window at my wings every 10 seconds and while seeing my airspeed and groundspeed decreasing. A usual 40 minute flight took over an hour.

N9373M

First time IMC all alone. Happened to be a small cumulobumpus to boot.

First time IMC@night. Why did all the ground lights disappear?

Wake turbulence from a C17 departing from a nearby airport while I was in the pattern at another. I was announcing CTAF when it happened, "Columbia Owens Downtown traffic, Cessna 738NC... BUMP... Sh!t, <shaky voice> left downwind runway 31, full stop</shaky voice>". Settled down once I figured out what happened.

VERY excited ATC (KNBC) voice telling me "traffic less than one mile your altitude, expedite climb". I think he was more scared than I, cause he could "see" the traffic and I couldn't.

This does not count but I HAVE flown into DCA in a 172 with 800 overcast. Wet 300 hour instrument guy too stupid to realize what I was doing. Take that Manno!

Looking forward to hearing from the pros ----- "There I was......"

IdahoFlyer

On my first 135 flight in my new company's 210 (also within my first month of employment) I had an engine failure over mountains in southern ID. The pax were freaked out and screaming. I was able to make an uneventful landing in a relatively flat area and got them to their appointments only 30 minutes late.
The situation definitely got the juices flowing.

Red Forman

That one time the FMS was deferred and I had to fly green needles!

N9373M

There was a thread like this awhile back - wait for the night carrier guys to chime in. Oh and maybe being shot at.

Thanks for my freedom

WalkOfShame

^^"Like"^^

Mine: Flying a CRJ200 into CHO, passing through 10K thru build-ups (it was late Sept), pop out of a cloud and see an object straight ahead. Took me a sec to realize it was an aircraft of some sort. I called it out to the capt. (I was PNF) and he banked left as it passed off the right less than 200ft from our right wing. It was an ultralight! At 10,000ft! The whole thing happened within 5 secs. The image in ingrained in my mind.... tubular frame, high-wing with the engine mounted on top in a pusher configuration, with green, purple, and white painted surfaces. Needless to say, Potomac App. was a little confused when I reported we had near-miss with an ultralight.

SI ISMs

where is the sweet tea?

Cbusbased

Late July in a Chieftain, flying night cargo and was trying to beat a squall line from STL to PWK. I was riding about 7 miles in front it until the gust front hit me. (I had the power pulled way back and should've been indicating about 150; looked down and was doing 220, pitched about 5 degrees down and showing a climb). Needless to say, I didnt make it to PWK and diverted. I would much rather deal with the ice and snow here in the Great Lakes