Fixations

A pilot-buddy and I were flying two airplanes to the runway at Cape Hatteras, N.C., to spend the day on the beach. Both my rented Cessna 172 and his recently purchased Piper Warrior were loaded with people and gear for the trip, and we both had departed with restricted fuel. Wed hooked up en route at a prearranged time, location and altitude, and were chatting back and forth on the air-to-air frequency. Plan A was to stop in Elizabeth City, N.C., and take on enough fuel for each of us to get back to our respective bases that evening without stopping.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The pilot, fixated on an initial fuel stop plan, dangerously ignored multiple warnings (ATIS, buddy, tower) about an impending airport closure, nearly landing despite the closure.
This "Plan A fixation" stemmed from a lack of situational awareness and an unwillingness to deviate from the original plan, partly influenced by overconfidence.
The experience taught the pilot the critical importance of flexibility, abandoning initial plans when circumstances change, and maintaining acute situational awareness in aviation to avoid unnecessary risks.

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A pilot-buddy and I were flying two airplanes to the runway at Cape Hatteras, N.C., to spend the day on the beach. Both my rented Cessna 172 and his recently purchased Piper Warrior were loaded with people and gear for the trip, and we both had departed with restricted fuel. We’d hooked up en route at a prearranged time, location and altitude, and were chatting back and forth on the air-to-air frequency. Plan A was to stop in Elizabeth City, N.C., and take on enough fuel for each of us to get back to our respective bases that evening without stopping.

About 10 minutes out of our planned fuel stop, we both got the ATIS, which included a Notam about a temporary airport closure. As it happened, the airport was going to shut down for a couple of hours, beginning in about 15 minutes. My buddy asked on the other radio about a Plan B, but it didn’t register; landing at Elizabeth City and getting fuel was the flight’s mission, and I wasn’t going to let something silly like a mere Notam interfere.