I Learned About Flying From That: A Memorable Day

Mark Owens

Friday, May 13, 2011 at 07:46 PM ET

Verified

One pilot's brush with bad weather shows
how crucial it is to be prepared for anything.

Key Takeaways:

The pilot and his wife flew their Cessna to Cape May for Memorial Day weekend, enjoying good weather for their outbound trip and stay.
On their return flight, they encountered rapidly deteriorating weather near Cincinnati, being vectored for an ILS approach into Lunken Airport amidst growing storm clouds.
Upon final approach, they were informed of a thunderstorm directly over Lunken; the pilot immediately executed a go-around and diverted to a nearby airport he had previously noted, landing safely just as the severe weather hit.
The experience highlighted the critical importance of being prepared for unpredictable weather, always having an escape plan, and maintaining composure during unexpected in-flight emergencies.

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__My wife’s sister invited my wife and I to spend Memorial Day weekend with her and her husband in Cape May, New Jersey. An early summer visit to the Jersey shore sounded like fun, plus I could fly us there in our Cessna Skyhawk. Our plan was to fly out on Saturday, spend a couple of days and return on Tuesday. We had a time cushion on either side of the weekend, so I didn’t think weather would be a problem.

Saturday morning was hazy and overcast in Indianapolis, and the Weather Channel radar showed a line of precipitation in central Ohio just north of our route. Our IFR flight to Morgantown, West Virginia, was uneventful. We landed in marginal VFR conditions, stretched, refueled and headed on to Cape May in improving weather. As we flew directly over the Baltimore-Washington International Airport at 7,000 feet, we could see the New Jersey coastline.