Mike Rapoport wrote On 10/12/05 07:34,:
"Wyatt Emmerich" wrote in message
...

My flight instructor is quite upset. He says every single one recurrent
pilots is making the same potentially fatal mistake. When they reach MDA
or the MAP, they hit the OBS/SUSP button as soon as it lights up. The
Garmin 530 immediately paints a magenta line to the hold waypoint.
Unfortunately, often the full approach plate lists specific altitudes to
which to climb before making this turn. The instructor says eight out of
eight of his recurrent pilots are just hitting the SUSP button as soon as
it appears and heading to the hold, which could take them smack dab into
terrain or towers. We look up in the Garmin manual and it says nothing
about making sure to reach the proper altitude before hitting the OBS/Susp
button. His point is this: Garmin should have some type of display message
that warns the pilot to reach the proper altitude before turning to the
hold fix.



The SUSP illuminates to show the pilot that waypoint sequencing is
suspended. No more.

The functions are the same on all the GPS units and it is part of the TSO.
Anyway, it is not Garmin's fault that pilots don't read the manual and don't
follow approach plates...its the pilots fault.

Has anyone ever crashed because of this?

Mike
MU-2



I crashed my head into the panel trying to push the button. Does that count ?