‘My airplane’

One that I hear often is this: If the examiner takes the controls during the flight, the applicant fails. While that may be true in certain scenarios, there are many times an examiner may intervene in the operation of the flight, either verbally or physically, that don’t lead to a failure.

For example, what happens if the examiner spots a traffic hazard while an applicant is wearing a view-limiting device? There may not be time for the applicant to remove the foggles, gather his situational awareness, and then make a turn to avoid the traffic. But rest assured, the examiner will take the controls and keep the aircraft safe. Does this mean a notice of disapproval will be issued? Certainly not. It wasn’t the applicant’s fault that he or she was unable to see and avoid traffic. So, the maneuver or approach will simply be paused until the hazard is gone, then resumed or repeated if necessary.

What if you are cruising along on your checkride and the engine starts running rough? That happened to me and an instrument applicant when we were getting vectors for an ILS approach. I immediately took the controls and adjusted the power to see if I could get it to smooth out. (It did not.) From that point on, we worked together as a team to get the aircraft safely back home. The engine turned out to have a cracked cylinder, so I was grateful we were at a decent altitude and close enough to an airport to be able to get back on the ground before the situation got worse. I issued a letter of discontinuance, and we finished the checkride the following week with a different airplane. There have also been times during extremely turbulent conditions when I have to admit that my hands have temporarily come up to the controls. That’s just a self-preservation instinct from years of instructing. When this happens, we usually laugh about the bucking bronco ride, and I apologize to the applicant, assuring them that they’re doing a wonderful job under challenging conditions.

So, what are the scenarios that would cause a failure for the examiner taking the controls? The airman certification standards say that one typical area of unsatisfactory performance is “any action or lack of action by the applicant that requires corrective intervention by the evaluator to maintain safe flight.” For example, an applicant is performing a steep turn and allows the aircraft to descend rapidly and exceed maneuvering speed with no correction in sight. At that point, the examiner will likely intervene to get the aircraft safely under control, then send the applicant home to retrain on how maneuvering speed protects us from structural damage during a steep bank/high load situation.Verbal intervention is also a common cause for an unsatisfactory result. If an examiner has to speak up to alert the applicant to the fact that they are about to bust Class Bravo airspace or enter a restricted area without a clearance, a notice of disapproval will be issued.

Overspeeding the flaps works the same way. If you attempt to extend the flaps while exceeding the aircraft’s limiting V_FE speed, the examiner will step in to prevent aircraft damage. I often see this on instrument approaches when the applicant configures the aircraft to land outside of the final approach fix then lets the speed fall out of his or her scan while fixating on the navigation equipment. Other common airspeed-related interventions have to do with getting too slow in the pattern. You will be given time to correct a deviation in most cases, but if your airspeed on climbout or on final approach is below the pilot’s operating handbook recommendation and rapidly slowing, the examiner has to intervene to keep everyone safe. As you get closer to the ground, the margin for error decreases. So, make prompt corrections before the DPE has to step in.

Verbal intervention is also a common cause for an unsatisfactory result. If the examiner has to speak up to alert the applicant to the fact that they are about to bust Class Bravo airspace or enter a restricted area without a clearance, a notice of disapproval will be issued. Or here’s one that’s happened to me several times in the traffic pattern: Tower will tell us to follow the second aircraft on final, and my applicant will call the first aircraft in sight then attempt to turn behind it. I will verbally stop our turn to prevent a midair collision, then point out the error to my applicant. Task saturation in the traffic pattern is a common problem and simply means the applicant needs more training and experience before he or she is ready to hold a private pilot certificate.

There are several reasons why an examiner may take the controls during your flight, and not all of them lead to a bad outcome. Remember, perfection is not a prerequisite for passing the flight portion of your checkride. You simply have to demonstrate your ability to be a competent pilot in command by promptly noticing and correcting any deviations on your own.