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M20 pilot was confused with tower clearances after an unpressurized flight above 10000 ft. Hypoxia was suspected.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 766845 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200712 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : whp.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | M-20 J (201) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 935 flight time type : 350 |
| ASRS Report | 766845 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
After descending from 11500 ft for a landing at pacoima/whiteman airport I realized I was having minor difficulties understanding the tower's instructions. I landed the aircraft without incident; picked up a passenger and received taxi instructions to depart the airport; I thought I felt fine but in retrospect I believe I was suffering from hypoxia. The controller instructed me to taxi to the runway I had just landed on and asked for my direction of departure. For some reason in my mind I had transposed the directions of the runways in my mind. This made me turn the wrong direction on the taxiway. My instructions from the controller for departure did not make sense to me just as my departure request did not make sense to the controller. On departure I used right traffic instead of left. It was not until several mins into the flight at lower altitudes did my mind clear so that I realized I probably had hypoxia when I landed. In the future I will spend more time on the ground between high altitude flts and try to be more aware of the symptoms of hypoxia and how they affect me personally.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: M20 PLT WAS CONFUSED WITH TWR CLEARANCES AFTER AN UNPRESSURIZED FLT ABOVE 10000 FT. HYPOXIA WAS SUSPECTED.
Narrative: AFTER DSNDING FROM 11500 FT FOR A LNDG AT PACOIMA/WHITEMAN ARPT I REALIZED I WAS HAVING MINOR DIFFICULTIES UNDERSTANDING THE TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS. I LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT; PICKED UP A PAX AND RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO DEPART THE ARPT; I THOUGHT I FELT FINE BUT IN RETROSPECT I BELIEVE I WAS SUFFERING FROM HYPOXIA. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI TO THE RWY I HAD JUST LANDED ON AND ASKED FOR MY DIRECTION OF DEP. FOR SOME REASON IN MY MIND I HAD TRANSPOSED THE DIRECTIONS OF THE RWYS IN MY MIND. THIS MADE ME TURN THE WRONG DIRECTION ON THE TXWY. MY INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE CTLR FOR DEP DID NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME JUST AS MY DEP REQUEST DID NOT MAKE SENSE TO THE CTLR. ON DEP I USED R TFC INSTEAD OF L. IT WAS NOT UNTIL SEVERAL MINS INTO THE FLT AT LOWER ALTS DID MY MIND CLR SO THAT I REALIZED I PROBABLY HAD HYPOXIA WHEN I LANDED. IN THE FUTURE I WILL SPEND MORE TIME ON THE GND BTWN HIGH ALT FLTS AND TRY TO BE MORE AWARE OF THE SYMPTOMS OF HYPOXIA AND HOW THEY AFFECT ME PERSONALLY.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.