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6 min read

What’s Wrong: Cross-Country Mystery

Welcome to this installment of “What’s Wrong?“, an interesting twist on aviation challenge quizzes. “What’s Wrong?” works just like a real flight: You’re in an airplane, flying along and there are clues to a potential problem right there in front of you—but it’s still on you to notice them and take action before it’s too late.

Here’s how it works: You’ll watch a super-short video with a quick setup for the situation and then approximately 10 seconds of the pilot’s perspective in flight. Something is amiss. Can you find it? We’ll give you 3-5 options at the end as what is wrong, but don’t expect much help from these options. They are worded to (perhaps) give some hints—or distractions from the important issue—but they won’t give anything away

Watch the video and see if you know what’s wrong. When you’re done, click through to the answer. Not only will you find out what’s wrong, but you’ll get at least one helpful tip, technique, or learning point to help if you ever face a situation like this in your real-world flying.

Watch the Scenario

The answer is 3: Your current navigation is taking you somewhere you don’t want to go.

The Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) status box at the top of the PFD shows that the autopilot’s active lateral mode is HDG not GPS. After re-centering the CDI with a Direct-To, you probably forgot to press the NAV button to switch from HDG to GPS (NAV) mode.

Without wind, this probably wouldn’t matter much since the cyan Selected Heading Bug is aligned with the Direct Track to your destination (307°). But there’s a 20-knot wind, slightly to your left. That’s blowing you off course to the right—and you’ll slowly drift right of course. An hour from now, you’d be pretty far off course.

The details are on the HSI (Horizontal Situation Indicator, which is the compass rose and CDI needle combination on the Primary Flight Display, or PFD). The CDI needle is left of course. If the autopilot was configured for GPS (Nav mode on some systems), the airplane would be centered on course by now and staying there.

Furthermore, you know this isn’t going to happen because the magenta Current Track Indicator—the magenta diamond by the heading bug—is a few degrees right of your heading. That’s the direction you’re actually traveling over the ground on this heading (your track). Because the autopilot is still in HDG mode, this track over the ground will continue, you’ll never get back on course, and you’ll end up east of your destination.

Of course, you’d probably figure it out at some point. Good thing you’re the only one on board so no one else will notice.

The last item on the Cruise checklist is “FMS/GPS.” That’s pretty cryptic, but it’s your reminder to always review what the automation is actually doing.

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Jeff Van West
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