That sucks. I just finished my CE680 type and did the same thing and it was just a debrief item.

This is a friend.

We just finished the checkride, and I was shocked when they failed him over hard landings. It felt like complete bs. The morning before the check ride, a line pilot had planted an A320 and almost totaled it from a hard landing.

During the checkride, we were running through the profiles as usual, and every time he lined up for a landing, the sim instructor called for a go-around around 50ft three times in a row. They never actually let him land, which seemed strange to me. He was flying fine, and nothing stood out as a safety issue or procedural error. After the third go-around, they told him he would have landed hard if they had allowed him to touch down, and that was somehow enough to fail him. How does that even work? If you think a hard landing might happen, isn’t the point to let him actually land and evaluate it?

What really annoyed me is that they didn’t tell us ahead of time there was some specific G-load limit being graded for landings. If they had, I’m sure he would have adjusted his technique accordingly. Instead, he was just flying to get the sim on the ground, without floating too much. He had no idea the landings were being graded so strictly.

The only actual landing he got to do was during the touch-and-go scenario with an engine out. That’s a tough maneuver, especially when you’re new to the A320, but he nailed it well enough to pass that portion. Yet somehow, the repeated go-arounds and a theoretical hard landing were enough to fail him.

The CFI worked for the DPE.

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LaserRanger_McStebb@reddit

He deducted time from every cross country because he said part of the time was operating on the ground and not flying cross country.

1emongrass@reddit

And that's how I teach it! Hell, I even tell them to pregame it by finding a good point on Google Earth before we get to the practice area.

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MasterPain-BornAgain@reddit

Couldn't you have said "oh shoot the truck is moving I need to change points really quick."

Adrenalcookie@reddit

That’s just a dick move 😭

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hunter8333@reddit

Commercial checkride, steep spiral. DPE asked for 3x 360° rotations about our point. Went down to 1000’ before leveling off as that’s what I had practiced every time. That equaled 5 so it was an unsafe recovery as I didn’t recover at the number of rotations the DPE wanted.

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NeutralArt12@reddit

Unfortunately there is no way for the DPE to help you there. The ACS is pretty clear you must pick the altitude that allows you to make 3 turns and you must recover no lower than 1,500 feet AGL :/

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Mavs-bent-FA18@reddit

Is it 1000’ now?

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ltdriser@reddit

I didn’t Identify the ILS Morse code on my precision approach. Failed. Had ILS dialed up on both the garmin and the radio. Thought I was acing it as the approach was flawless, aside from ID lol.

I was quite frustrated but it’s right there in the ACS so who am I to complain. “Tune, identify, and confirm”. It’s not something I ever practiced with my CFII. Recheckride was ridiculous - I pulled the plane out, flipped master and avionics, and showed the DPE I knew how to identify by identifying the ILS on the field from the ramp. Pushed it back and got signed off.

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Ok_Stable_9137@reddit

I failed on rectangular course for my CFI ride. I flew it like a traffic pattern cause that’s how I’ve always thought they worked but I should’ve read the AFH before I guess.

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BrianAnim@reddit

Hitting vectors to final and not being able to identify step down fixes for a LOC approach.

About as stupid as when I figured out my deviation math and direction / heading but turned 100 degrees off course (like 210 but turned 110) and right at the nearest bravo.

.6 on the hobs to fix both times on the retry.

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cbellew22@reddit

Not me but my DPE told me she failed somebody for jumping over the wheel chocks when trying to taxi. She said she would have been fine if he would have shut the engine off, and removed them lol

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tsey98@reddit

At the school I was doing my private at, one of our A/P going for CFI didn’t wear his seatbelt before taxiing. Immediately got failed, continued, passed everything else.The next day they started up the plane, put on his harness then taxied to the hold short line and back for a pass.

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LymePilot@reddit

Way back when I was flying a Cirrus SR22 P135 and while doing a 297 with the NY FSDO we also opted to do my single engine ATP.

Did the ride, got the plastic and a few weeks later was busted back down to commercial single because the examiner himself was not ATP rated and could not issue a rating which he did not hold. 🤦‍♂️

If you don't fly with much glass. You wouldn't know and probably wouldn't he asked for PPL, i wasn't at least.

When a runway has the same identifier for the ILS in both directions, the ILS has to be manually switched by the tower in the proper direction of the runway in use. Sounds like you were on the side that wasn’t selected.

This has happened to me before in actual IMC on an actual approach clearance and the tower forgot to switch the ILS to the correct side.

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Emerghency@reddit

that would make sense as the airport basically exists to serve amazon and they typically are always using the same approach and runways.

Sucks that this is what caused me to fail a checkride but it is what it is i suppose.

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Sweetcheels69@reddit (OP)

What an a whole

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NoGuidance8609@reddit

On my 6th type rating. Honestly the absolute best ride of my life. Nailed the oral, flew a near perfect checkride. Handled all emergencies smoothly and not rushed. Last landing, 10 knot crosswind, perfect approach and I know after I land the emergency evacuation is coming. I break out at minimums and fall for the visual error of removing the crosswind correction, momentarily destabilizing. I get it back together quickly but then flaring for a smooth landing land just past the touchdown zone…. The instructor who was my FAGO whispers under his breath “ a smooth landing in the sim is like kissing your sister, pointless”. If I would have navy landed would have been no issue.

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Sweetcheels69@reddit (OP)

Yep, I don’t even flare in sims anymore. And I always do max braking? Why because they’re not about to catch me slipping.

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dudefise@reddit

Also in some of them the ground controllability is squirrelly as hell. Looking at you, last RJ7 sim on the left at FSI DEN

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49-10-1@reddit

Yeah when I was doing -700 differences training I almost went into the grass. I think that same sim.

One of my friends failed their IR skills test doing a VOR approach because they were more than 150ft high at one of the DME height checks

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jobimhaze@reddit

The only altitude that you can be too high on is the initial altitude before descending and the the MDA. Step downs are minimums but you don't need to hit them.

IR.VI.A.S9 Maintain altitude ±100 feet, selected heading ±10°, airspeed ±10 knots, no more than ¾ scale CDI deflection, and accurately track radials, courses, or bearings, prior to beginning the final approach segment.

IR.VI.A.S11 Establish a stabilized descent to the appropriate altitude.

IR.VI.A.S12 For the final approach segment, maintain no more than ¾ scale CDI deflection, airspeed ±10 knots, and altitude, if applicable, above MDA +100/-0 feet to the Visual Descent Point (VDP) or missed approach point (MAP).

Step downs aren't even mentioned, just implied by

IFR. The glare shield above the dash on my plane was old and if you grabbed it to help you stand and exit the plane (it had a canopy) it it was possible to pull it loose. because of this I had bright yellow and black labels on it saying, "DO NOT TOUCH."

On my final approach the examiner reaches over, probably to cover one of my instruments, grabs the glare shield and pulls it completely off the dash into my lap causing me to go full deflection on the approach.

He didn't charge me for the retest which was a single easy approach at my base airport.

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Plane wouldn’t start.

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This is my problem with simulating things. Things that are obvious with pure eyesight and human nature are overlooked. If it was a cloudy day or you actually filed an IFR flight plan (which I’m sure you would have done well prior to showing up to the plane), you would have called because thats just the natural flow of things. IFR pilots don’t punch through clouds without pop clearances or filing. DPEs annoy me man

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GlutenFremous@reddit

It was a cheap fail in my opinion (and just about every other pilot I've mentioned it to shares in my sentiment). This was at a towered airport too, so it wasn't like I had taxied and took off without any sort of ATC clearance.

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steambuilder@reddit

Private pilot check ride - got the math wrong on the weight and balance. Didn't even get in the air, but had flown in for the checkride so I had to fly back to my home airport to let my instructor know. A little extra math class and I passed it the next day.

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Nix_Nivis@reddit

Flight training is wild...

"You're just not ready to fly a plane on your own"

sulkingly has to fly back home on his own

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B_O_A_H@reddit

That’s the way it does when my dad went to get his motorcycle license. He passed the written but failed the riding portion and he as asked by the examiner how he was going to get his bike back home. He responded, “I’m riding it home.” The examiner and a deputy watched him pull out of the parking lot.

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Julianus@reddit

Not flight training, but a similar silly example: I moved to the US from Europe. I had rented cars in the US for years. Since I now lived in the US, I needed a US driver's license. I go to DMV, "well, you don't have to do the driving test, but you have to pass the written exam." They gave me a little study booklet and a return appointment time. They handed me my foreign license back and watched me drive off.

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outworlder@reddit

I had to do the written and the driving test. Turns out that they don't consider some countries driving experience. Bitch please. My first driving test was an order of magnitude harder than the silly DMV driving test. You don't even have to parallel park or stop at a steep ramp and then resume without rolling back - while driving a manual.

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thrfscowaway8610@reddit

In Egypt -- make the car go forward, make the car go backward: pass.

Sweetcheels69@reddit (OP)

Mannnnn that practical and oral is still to this day the hardest check ride I’ve done and I have an ATP.

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extralastthrowaway@reddit

I flew through the last two molecules of cloud on what was turning out to be a blue sky day while I did a climb checklist. Ten years later I was flying 135 in Alaska.

Ask me more about my journey to existential and extreme metaphysical nihilism.

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thrfscowaway8610@reddit

"Nihilism? F*** me. Say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos."

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waddersss@reddit

I didn’t idle mixture during engine shut down. That’s literally it. The instructor said everything else was fine but had to fail me because of that. I sort of understand because of safety reasons but I think it was a bit harsh.

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Sweetcheels69@reddit (OP)

This one is deadly. Can even level with you here my friend. But I’m sure its a mistake you’ll never take again

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fender8421@reddit

I lost 2 points (out of 100) for not cleaning the windshield.

I understand it, and it's also funny

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thrfscowaway8610@reddit

One per insect?

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Jon8502@reddit

My only failure, CFII failed because on an ILS the "student" was chasing the needle back and forth, I was explaining what was happening and how to correct it. 12 mile final I failed because the DPE wanted me to take controls and restart the student over at the IAF. I explained my plan was to do this by the FAF and wanted to give the student a chance to fix it, he argued it was inefficient to let it continue. I asked where in the ACS are we being tested on efficiency, we called it good for the day there. Every airline I told this at laughed and said that's some BS

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Sweetcheels69@reddit (OP)

I bet it got tense between the two of you

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YaYeetMySkeet@reddit

During my instrument check ride, my DPE told me to do a DME arch to line us up for a “possible” missed ILS approach. We were simulating ATC, (them being ATC obviously.) We had already shot the ILS earlier in the check ride, so that was no biggie. The plate did not have a VOR/DME arch, so naturally I was confused. I asked “ATC” for clarification, but all I was given was a repeat of the same thing, twice. Naturally, the DPE took over, and after that I mentally felt so out of it.

Stupid on my part.

You’re getting downvoted because this is a thread for pilots of all backgrounds and experiences to show a little bit of humility on why they failed something.

To be clear there was no traffic there, but it was the principle that I needed to scan for traffic before turning

DPE let me know the checkride was over and I would be issued a letter of disapproval.

I've felt frustrated for a while after that. I felt like I was let down by my CFI and that I let myself down by becoming complacent with traffic scanning in a towered field by relying on ATC

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Skynet_lives@reddit

While I didn’t fail my PPL XC has a similar story. I had it planned and my second checkpoint was about 25NM away from departure airport. One of the other CFIs told me to make them closer so we don’t have to fly as far. So I changed them to like 5NM and 15NM away.

Problem is the 15NM checkpoint was a bit of a stretch since there isn’t really anything out there, it was just some random intersection. He didn’t like it, knew why I did it but didn’t like it. So when we flew it he asked how I knew that was my intersection for sure which I didn’t have a decent answer for, made me fly to the third checkpoint 25NM away.

Unpublished DME arc. ACS says arcing procedures SHOULD be published. Did a poor job correcting for wind, and I exceeded the DME distance the DPE assigned.

BowlerSimple9273@reddit

On my commercial checkride. I fucked up the recovery from slow flight. I grabbed the throttle like you would hold a cigarette, pushed it in what I thought was all the way and the throttle was out like a finger width because of the way I grabbed it.

Never compromised safety in anyway and do I think the Dpe could have looked the other way yes. Was it technically not to acs standards yes. Still salty about it. Passed everything else with no problems. Retested 20 minutes later and passed.

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SMELLYJELLY72@reddit

i was close on instrument. i was flying to my missed approach point when atc said “traffic 11 o clock, 2 miles, report in sight”. i was waiting for my dpe to check the traffic, but he didn’t. so i said “scanning for traffic” and the TIS-B marker for the airplane went from yellow to red. in the moment, i thought about deviating around the traffic. my hand even went to the stick, but i thought, “hmmm i probably shouldn’t deviate off heading, i bet atc will vector that other traffic away”, and they sure did.

in the debrief, the dpe said “i really thought you were about to turn and i was ready to tell you that you failed, so good job”.

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warlord1144@reddit

Unusual attitudes on the private ride. CFI didn’t teach correct method.

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Lack of checklists usage.

You don’t have to use a checklist every single time especially if you can recall a memory flow…BUT I know a guy that failed bc he used a checklist 0 times on a CFI ride. DPE told their CFI that the memory flows were perfect. But they never bothered to look at the list.

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butter-fruit@reddit

I failed private Checkride cause I couldn’t find the frequency for an MOA. I derped and forgot the chart supplement existed. (Pre ForeFlight days)

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dumptruckulent@reddit

I almost failed my IR checkride because I kept saying we were doing a direct entry instead of parallel. I drew the correct flight path out on my kneeboard. I said which direction we were going to turn and what our outbound heading was going to be.

/I didn’t fail this one but/ … 141 instrument sim ride, I was shaking on the pedals with doing a partial panel DMC arc. The unimpressed check pilot sitting behind me suddenly came on the mic asking if I wanted to try it again.

I didn’t know what I did wrong so I did the exact same thing again….and we moved on. My ass bit the seat hearing his deep voice come on right as I’m thinking about not failing

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Sweetcheels69@reddit (OP)

Haha I know there had to been a pinch mark in the seat the size of the Eiffel Tower when he said that 😂. I probably should have failed my instrument ride but my examiner fell asleep 😂

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

I’ll go first, I choose to do a single engine VOR approach on my multi ride even though I had trained ILS the entire time. Got to the MDA high and close to the runway. Failed because I wasn’t in a continuous position to land. Both airlines and flight schools that I applied to laughed when I told them that.

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