Flight Control Failure in the Mountains
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
-Ernest Hemingway
Jim was eight hours into his training to regain instrument proficiency. We did the basic maneuvers and flown several approaches in VFR. We did two international IFR flights. He is ready.
He is in the left seat of the Baron now (the only side with brakes) and we are going from Fort Lauderdale (KFXE) to St. Augustine (KSGJ) for some fuel. SGJ was VFR when we checked the weather, so no IFR alternate was required. Once we were airborne the weather started getting lower and lower. Since SGJ was about a buck fifty cheaper per gallon, we planned on topping off there. Fifty miles out of SGJ they were 1400 overcast. Forty miles out and they were 1000 overcast. Sea fog was rolling in. At 30 miles they were reporting a 300ft ceiling and the active approach was the GPS with the minimums of 400ft. I queried the controller about the weather and he gave us any approach we wanted. We took the ILS to 31 with minimums of 200ft. On final it went from 300ft to 100ft. Since we were inside the final approach fix, I continued the approach knowing it would be good training for Jim to do an approach to minimums with a missed. At Decision Altitude it was still pea soup, so Jim directed a missed approach. Once the engines were spooled up and we were on the missed, I dialed up fuel prices on the Fore Flight app. I found some inexpensive fuel and VFR less than 15 miles away. We changed our destination with ATC and made a beautiful sunset approach into Jacksonville Craig Muni (KCRG) for gas. Jim had handled the approach to minimums and missed approach beautifully and was surprised I had let him do it. Sometimes “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
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