No pilot ever begins a checkride planning to fail it, but according to 2009 FAA statistics, of the 23,197 private pilot checkrides conducted nationwide, 5,219 applicants (22.5 percent) failed their checkrides. So what went wrong? A checkride failure is simply the unfortunate result of an applicant’s inability to demonstrate the required levels of knowledge, skill, or judgment required by the
appropriate practical test standards. So the real question should be: What caused the deficiency? It’s hardly ever just one problem that leads to a failure. As demonstrated in the following actual post-checkride briefing notes, most designated pilot examiners are not anxious to fail any applicant. Instead, notice how a “three (or more) strikes and you’re out” philosophy to checkride failures is often employed while reviewing the details, actions, or inactions that led to the sad conclusions of these four private pilot checkrides:
Case 1. “Applicant lacked knowledge of required pilot certificates and documents, photo ID, pilot logbook, and flight review requirements. Weak on weather charts, METARS, and TAF symbology and interpretation. Confused about Class E/G airspace boundaries and associated VFR weather minimums, surface Class E limitations, and requirements for special VFR operations. Lacked knowledge of sectional chart symbology: airport and runway lighting availability, runway length, and right-hand traffic pattern depictions.”
Case 2. “Applicant used incorrect (sample) aircraft empty weight and moment to compute weight and balance. Used wrong true airspeed to calculate cruise performance, resulting in a groundspeed error of more than 10 percent and an ETA error of more than 20 minutes. Unable to calculate number of gallons needed to satisfy the 45-minute reserve for night operations. Faced with a ‘fuel gauges reading well below expected value’ scenario (one-eighth reading in both tanks), rather than divert to a nearby airport, decided to continue another 30 minutes to the planned destination airport for a night arrival. Weak runway signage and tower-operated light gun signals knowledge.”
Case 3. “Applicant lost positional awareness during pilotage navigation; unable to determine aircraft position relative to prominent visible landmarks. Unable to reach selected field during a simulated engine failure scenario. Overbanking (35 degrees) during turns under simulated instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Unable to navigate using VOR navaids or use ‘nearest airport’ feature of the GPS. Became disoriented/lost while attempting to enter traffic pattern. Hard touchdown during soft-field landing attempt with resulting bounce and subsequent drift due to insufficient crosswind corrections.”
Case 4. “Applicant acknowledged but failed to comply with ATC ‘position and hold’ clearance. Climbed to 3,000 feet (base of Class B airspace) after takeoff, requiring examiner intervention. Unable to locate selected diversion airport; missed airport by 10 miles and ETA by 50 percent. Failed to complete any restart actions during simulated engine failure scenario; set up to land with a 10-knot tailwind, across furrows; turned base leg late resulting in being low and slow on final, then attempted to stretch glide by getting even slower. Unaware of objective to maintain constant radius from selected point during turns around a point; attempted instead to keep wing tip aligned with reference point.”
Overly demanding work and or family schedules along with a lack of adequate sleep are frequently mentioned contributing factors leading to a failed checkride. Difficulty in sleeping the night before can be attributed to a buildup of stress as the checkride day approaches. Stress levels do vary with the individual. Although it’s always present at some level, stress is usually directly related—and inversely proportional to—general checkride readiness. In short, an applicant who is well prepared will develop much less stress, permitting a much better night’s sleep.
Another way to stack the cards in your favor is to eat a healthful, nourishing breakfast before heading to the airport. This does wonders for your brain and its ability to provide the correct responses during the test. However, normal work and family demands, adequate rest, and a nourishing meal are no substitute for your ability to perform to PTS standards—even on a bad day. In spite of your best preparation efforts, if you are faced with a checkride failure, recognize that most important, it represents an opportunity for continued learning.
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